Makhachev is not always dominant, but he finds a way to win.

Philadelphia - Islam Makhachev retained his UFC welterweight championship after defeating Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision in the UFC 330 main event at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, United States, on Saturday local night, or Sunday 16 August 2026 WIB.

Makhachev secured the win with official scorecards of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 from the three ringside judges after the full five round contest. This victory marks the first welterweight title defence for the Dagestani-Russian fighter.

This was by no means an easy victory, however.

The Irish challenger pushed Makhachev to his limit across the full 25 minutes. Garry even turned the tide of the fight after being dropped by a brutal head kick from Makhachev in the second round.

In the end, Makhachev still found a path to victory.

And this win also earned him a historic milestone: 17 consecutive UFC victories, surpassing the long-standing 16-fight win streak previously held by UFC legend Anderson Silva.

Makhachev Immediately Takes The Fight To The Ground

Makhachev knew from the outset that standing and trading strikes with Garry was not his optimal gameplan.

As soon as the bout began, he opened with probing leg kicks before shooting for Garry's legs to secure a takedown. Once on top, Makhachev pinned his body to his opponent, trapping Garry against the octagon fence on defence.

Garry attempted to work back to his feet, but Makhachev maintained relentless control. He landed short knee strikes to the body and hips while denying his opponent any space to stand freely.

There were few significant landed strikes in the opening round, but Makhachev's dominant positional control saw MMA Fighting score the round 10-9 for the champion.

The second round followed a near identical pattern early on.

Garry began throwing more active long range kicks, and even briefly pressed Makhachev against the fence while landing clean body strikes.

But as the two fighters separated, Makhachev found the opening he was waiting for.

A flush, hard head kick landed clean on Garry, dropping the challenger.

Garry returned to his feet quickly but appeared visibly shaken. Makhachev immediately capitalised, closing the distance to take him back down, then held top position for the remainder of the round.

Both opening rounds were awarded to Makhachev on MMA Fighting's unofficial scorecard.

Garry Battles Back To Shift Momentum

This fight was far from over, however.

After surviving one of the most dangerous moments of the contest, Garry began to show exactly why he had earned this title shot.

In the third round, Garry utilised his kicks more effectively to maintain range. When Makhachev once again shot for a takedown, Garry reversed position, returned to his feet and landed clean punching combinations.

He followed this up with successful head kicks and oblique kicks.

While Makhachev still carried greater threat at close range, Garry was now successfully making the champion uncomfortable.

MMA Fighting scored the third round 10-9 for Garry.

This momentum carried straight into the fourth round.

Makhachev continued to pursue takedowns, but Garry displayed vastly improved takedown defence. On the occasions Makhachev did get him down, Garry was able to stand back up immediately.

Garry's welterweight frame also meant Makhachev could not hold top control nearly as easily as he had done competing at lightweight.

Garry continued to land body kicks and oblique kicks. While Makhachev remained aggressive with his wrestling, most of his takedowns did not result in extended periods of control.

MMA Fighting also awarded this round to Garry, leaving the unofficial scorecard tied at 38-38 heading into the final round.

It should be noted that these scores are unofficial media scores from MMA Fighting, not official judge scorecards. Officially, the three ringside judges scored the contest 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 in favour of Makhachev.

One thing was undeniable however:

Garry had turned a fight that appeared to be slipping completely out of his reach into a fiercely competitive contest.

Final Round Tests The Champion's Endurance

The fifth round was the final decider.

Garry pushed forward, closing the distance on Makhachev. He successfully landed a right hook and straight right hand early in the round.

Makhachev did not panic.

He went back to his most trusted weapon: wrestling.

His first takedown attempt did not result in extended control, as Garry returned to his feet quickly. But Makhachev kept pressing.

On the next attempt, he secured a clean takedown and took back mount on Garry.

This time, Garry could not escape back to his feet.

Makhachev remained glued to Garry's back, landing short punches while constantly threatening a rear naked choke. Garry fought off the submission attempts, but Makhachev held dominant position right up until the final bell sounded.

Five full rounds were in the books.

The belt remained with Makhachev.

This Was More Than Just A Win

This victory carried far greater significance than simply retaining his title.

Makhachev now moves to a professional record of 29 wins and 1 loss, while Garry suffers only the second defeat of his career, moving to 17 wins and 2 losses.

Most importantly, Makhachev now holds 17 consecutive UFC victories. This record breaks the 15 year old 16 fight win streak previously held by Anderson Silva.

This achievement cemented this night in Philadelphia as a landmark moment in UFC history.

Prior to moving up divisions, Makhachev held the UFC lightweight championship and successfully defended that belt four times. He captured the welterweight title shortly after, with this bout being his first successful defence at the 77.1kg limit.

That said, this contest against Garry also exposed the new challenges Makhachev will face at welterweight.

Makhachev openly acknowledged after the fight that Garry had given him an incredibly tough battle. He also noted that Garry's training camp alongside Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Demian Maia had noticeably improved the Irish challenger's grappling ability.

Makhachev explained that welterweight opponents carry far greater physical strength, making finishes via submission significantly harder. Even so, he remains fully confident in his wrestling base.

Garry Leaves Without The Belt, But With His Reputation Elevated

Garry fell short of his goal of becoming world champion.

But he did not leave Philadelphia with his head hung low.

Speaking after the contest, Garry stated he had no excuses or complaints over the result. He stated he was proud of his preparation and his entire team.

At just 28 years old, Garry confirmed that this defeat to Makhachev would not halt his career progression.

He went on to call Makhachev the best pound for pound fighter on the planet, and acknowledged that the champion had made history that night.

This mature reaction made this defeat feel entirely different.

He did not take home the championship belt.

But he proved that he could go the full five hard rounds against one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history.

The Champion Remains Standing
UFC 330 was never going to be the night Makhachev blew his opponent away.

There was no knockout.

There was no submission finish.

This was never going to be an easy victory.

This was a five round war where a challenger found weaknesses, shifted momentum, and forced the champion to dig deep right up until the final second.

But when the fight was on the line, Makhachev fell back on what he does best.

Wrestling And Patience Won The Night

He did not look unbeatable for every second of this fight.

But he always found a way to win.

That is what makes this victory over Garry mean far more than the 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 numbers on the scorecards.

Garry proved that Makhachev is human after all.

But after 25 hard fought minutes, the champion was still standing.

And as the belt was once again wrapped around his waist, Makhachev walked away with something even bigger: the all time UFC record for 17 consecutive wins.

From Dagestan to Philadelphia, from lightweight to welterweight, Makhachev continues to prove one increasingly undeniable truth:

Every time an opponent finds a way to disrupt him, Makhachev always finds a way to come out on top.