Makhachev breaks UFC win-streak record with hard-fought decision over Garry at UFC 330

Islam Makhachev defended his UFC welterweight title with a hard-fought decision victory over Ian Garry in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia, breaking the record for the longest win streak in UFC history in the process. The five-round contest pushed the champion closer to his limits than many expected, with Garry’s disciplined, counter-based game plan drawing genuine praise from the man who beat him.

Makhachev pointed to Garry’s deliberate lack of output as the central tactical problem he had to solve across 25 minutes. “Very hard to fight with someone who stands… No working, just standing and waiting,” Makhachev said in a post-fight interview. “Very difficult. He prepared himself well for the fight; he gave me a hard time, but no matter. From the first second to the last second, I am going to war. I am going to win, doesn’t matter how.”

The champion also disclosed a physical toll the fight extracted. At the post-fight press conference, Makhachev revealed that Garry caught him with an inadvertent headbutt during a grappling exchange — a moment that added to the difficulty of an already demanding night. “He gave me a very hard headbutt,” Makhachev said. “It’s OK. Hard fight. It makes you improve and I feel I improved.”

Makhachev edged the final round to secure the decision, a finish that underlined both his championship resolve and the genuine competitiveness Garry brought to the bout. The victory extends a win streak that now stands alone in UFC record books, cementing Makhachev’s place among the promotion’s all-time greats.

With the Garry chapter closed, Makhachev is already looking ahead. The champion has identified Carlos Prates as his next target, with that bout set to serve as his second title defense at 170 pounds.