Islam Makhachev delivered a masterclass in control at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision to retain his welterweight title and secure a record 17th consecutive UFC win.
The 34-year-old Makhachev, a former lightweight champion, now owns an extraordinary record of 29 wins and one defeat. For Machado Garry, 28, the night represented a missed opportunity to become the first Irish fighter to hold a UFC title since Conor McGregor. Instead, he suffered the second loss of a career that has spanned 19 fights.
‘Ian is a great fighter, good man and I respect him. He gave me a hard time but I still prove every fight,’ Makhachev said after the bout.
The clash was billed as a classic confrontation between Makhachev’s grappling pedigree and Machado Garry’s striking skills. Makhachev set the tone in the first round by taking his opponent down with the very first attempt. Machado Garry defended patiently but found himself pinned against the cage for much of the round. In the second, Makhachev landed a head kick that staggered the Irishman before slamming him to the canvas, yet Machado Garry again managed to see out the round.
Machado Garry enjoyed some success with kicks in the middle frames and bloodied Makhachev’s face with punches in the clinch, but Makhachev continued to dominate whenever the fight reached the ground. The statistics underscored his control: seven unanswered takedowns and more than 12 minutes of time on top, compared with just 34 seconds for Machado Garry. Although Machado Garry landed 29 significant strikes to Makhachev’s 22, the judges scored the contest for the champion.
After the final bell, the two shared a warm embrace and Machado Garry lifted Makhachev’s arm in acknowledgment. Machado Garry then addressed the fans, saying: ‘To all my fans, Ireland, everybody, I’m sorry I couldn’t get this done. But I stand here as a man proud of what I’ve done, proud of where I came from and proud where this will take me. To all the fans who doubt me, I’ll be back.’
At 28, Machado Garry still has time to chase his dream of becoming a champion. Makhachev, meanwhile, continues to strengthen the argument that he is closing in on the status of greatest UFC fighter of all time.
In the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern made a successful first defence of her strawweight title with a unanimous decision over Canada’s Gillian Robertson. Dern, 33, controlled the grappling exchanges and came close to finishing Robertson, 31, on multiple occasions. The American-Brazilian has now won four straight fights. ‘My first title win I got taken down a lot of times so I’ve been working on my wrestling. I’m still the champion,’ Dern said.
Meanwhile, the UFC announced that Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October. The same card will see Petr Yan put his bantamweight belt on the line in a rematch against Georgian former champion Merab Dvalishvili. England’s Lone’er Kavanagh takes on Uzbekistan’s Ramazan Tamirov in a flyweight bout, while English featherweight Arnold Allen faces American Aaron Pico.
Makhachev’s latest victory only strengthens the case that he belongs in the conversation as one of the greatest UFC fighters in history.
