America's Islam Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight title at UFC 330, and also set a record of 17 consecutive wins in the UFC, surpassing the achievement of the legendary Anderson Silva. Makhachev not only left UFC 330 in Philadelphia with the welterweight championship belt on his shoulders, but also broke middleweight legend Anderson Silva's milestone of 16 consecutive wins. The Russian boxer set a record after defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision with a score of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. Makhachev made history after one of the most difficult matches of his career. He overwhelmed his opponent with his grappling and locking skills in the first round, and showed improvement in his ability to stand up in the second round. But in the last two rounds, the 34-year-old boxer showed unusual signs of weakness. He seems to have difficulty against Machado Garry's long-range attacks. However, with less than three minutes left in the match, Makhachev performed an important knockdown, thereby deciding the victory and officially breaking Silva's record. "Ian is a great fighter, a good person and gave me a lot of trouble. But I still prove myself with each fight," Makhachev said in the ring after the victory. Makhachev's winning streak began in September 2016, with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Wade. In these 17 wins, Makhachev 11 times ended the match early with a knock-out or chokehold. The victory in Philadelphia on the evening of August 15 was also the seventh consecutive time Makhachev won in title matches since October 2022. His first five wins saw him defend or win the lightweight title, while his last two came at welterweight. Makhachev believes that his first meeting with Alexander Volkanovski in February 2023 was the most difficult match in the winning streak. Still, the Garry fight was definitely one of his most challenging times. Garry entered the match with the ambition of becoming Ireland's new generation UFC champion star. He also possesses one of the most complex physical skill sets Makhachev has ever faced. A few centimeters taller than his opponent and possessing sharp kicks, Garry made Makhachev gasp for air from the third round. His arm span and mobility helped the Irish fighter negate many of Makhachev's takedown attempts, while also forcing the champion to spend most of the third and fourth rounds wrestling in the clinch instead of taking the fight to the mat. This is where Makhachev often overwhelms the world's top opponents. But in round five, when Makhachev seemed to be on the defensive, the champion showed bravery. After about two more minutes of enduring Garry's dangerous attacks, Makhachev suddenly swept his opponent's legs and then quickly moved back, controlling Garry's back until the final bell rang. According to UFC, Garry landed more significant strikes than Makhachev, 29-22, and led 89-78 in total strikes. However, Makhachev's seven submissions and 12 minutes and 30 seconds of control gave him the victory. "Nothing surprises me. I have absolute respect for Islam," Garry said after the defeat. Silva's winning streak lasted from June 2006 to October 2012, during which he had 10 consecutive victories in title matches by knockout or submission - another UFC record. However, Silva's winning streak ended after a subjective moment, when he let Chris Weidman take advantage of an opening and unleashed one of the most shocking knockouts in MMA history. Makhachev is currently showing no signs of losing focus or slowing down in his journey to assert his position as the number one fighter in the UFC, regardless of weight class. After taking over the lightweight division, Makhachev stepped up to the welterweight division and continued to conquer the championship belt. In November 2025, he easily defeated defending champion Jack Della Maddalena, becoming the 11th fighter in UFC history to win in two weight divisions. With the latest victory, Makhachev became the fifth person to successfully defend championship belts in multiple weight classes. Makhachev's only defeat in 30 career matches came against Adriano Martins in October 2015. Over time, this result became more and more unbelievable when Makhachev continued to win after that. Martins once knocked out Makhachev with a lightning right hook in the first round. But since then, the Brazilian boxer has only won one more match. He was released from his contract by the UFC in 2017 and lost six of his next eight fights since his win over Makhachev.
