The Russian fighter defended his welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, surpassing Anderson Silva's legendary streak that stood for 13 years.
Islam Makhachev defended his UFC welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. With this win, he secured his 17th consecutive UFC victory, setting a new organization record and surpassing Anderson Silva's legendary 16-fight winning streak from 2006 to 2013, as reported by Daily Sabah.
The fight lasted all 25 minutes, with the judges' scorecards reading 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of the 34-year-old Russian. Makhachev controlled the pace with dominant wrestling and ground pressure, neutralizing the Irish challenger, who failed to impose himself enough to turn the tide of the bout.
Makhachev nearly finished the fight in the second round when he landed a left head kick that sent Machado Garry to the canvas. A flurry of strikes followed, igniting the crowd of 19,238 spectators, but the 28-year-old Irishman managed to survive the round.
Machado Garry, who had the chance to become only the second undisputed UFC champion from Ireland, won the third round on all three judges' scorecards and landed seven significant strikes in the fifth round, while Makhachev landed none. However, it wasn't enough for the victory.
"I believed with all my heart and soul that I was better than him tonight, and he won," Machado Garry said in the octagon after the result was announced. "No complaints, no excuses. I'm 28 years old, I already have a decade of dominance. This man won tonight."
Makhachev, who previously held the lightweight title and now has a total of seven wins in title fights, commented on his challenger: "He gave me tough moments, but I prove it in every fight."
UFC CEO Dana White highlighted the magnitude of Makhachev's achievement. "If he continues the way he says he will, maybe that record will never be broken," White stated. Anderson Silva's record stood for 13 years, and Machado Garry now holds a 17-2 record in his professional career.
