Anderson Silva’s record stood for 13 years. Islam Makhachev ended that in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Islam Makhachev delivered a masterclass in Philadelphia to defend his UFC welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, winning by unanimous decision. At UFC 330, the win marks a historic 17th consecutive UFC victory and break Anderson Silva’s long-standing record.
The Russian’s dominance across five rounds at the Xfinity Mobile Arena left little room for argument. Makhachev secured seven unanswered takedowns and accumulated over twelve minutes of control time throughout the fight. Machado Garry managed just 34 seconds of control in return. The Irishman landed 29 significant strikes to Makhachev’s 22 but could not translate his striking output into rounds on the judges’ scorecards.
The first round set the tone immediately. Makhachev took Machado Garry down at the first attempt and pinned him against the cage for much of the period. In the second, he knocked Machado Garry down with a head kick before slamming him to the canvas. The Irishman showed resilience throughout, defending on the ground with discipline and landing some effective kicks midway through the contest. He also bloodied Makhachev’s face with punches in the clinch. The Russian shrugged it off and continued to press his grappling advantage until the final bell.
Makhachev (34) improves his record to 29 wins and one defeat. Machado Garry (28) suffers only the second loss of his 19-fight professional career. The defeat ends his quest to become the first Irish UFC champion since Conor McGregor.
Mutual Respect Between Fighters
In a show of genuine mutual respect, Machado Garry raised Makhachev’s arm in victory before the judges’ decision was even announced. He addressed his supporters without deflection.
“To all my fans, Ireland, everybody, I’m sorry I couldn’t get this done,” he said.
“But I stand here as a man proud of what I’ve done, proud of where I came from and proud of where this will take me. To all the fans who doubt me, I’ll be back.”
Makhachev’s assessment of his opponent was measured and respectful in return.
“Ian is a great fighter, good man and I respect him. He gave me a hard time but I still prove every fight,” he said.
At 34, the Russian already holds the pound-for-pound number one ranking in the UFC. At 28, Machado Garry has the time and the talent to return. Saturday night, however, belonged entirely to the man who just rewrote the record books.
