Islam Makhachev defends UFC title, extends streak to 17 wins
Makhachev defeated Ian Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 in Philadelphia and extended his winning streak to 17.
Islam Makhachev retained his UFC lightweight title on August 16, 2026, defeating Ian Garry by unanimous decision after five rounds at UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
Makhachev controlled much of the fight, mixing strong striking with grappling and dictating the tempo from the opening bell. In the second round he landed a massive head kick that visibly rocked Garry, but the Irish contender recovered and made it to the later rounds.
Record run extends to 17 straight wins
When the judges' scorecards were read Makhachev emerged with a clear unanimous victory. The result pushed his winning streak to 17 consecutive professional wins, a mark no fighter in UFC history has reached before, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Anderson Silva.
With the title defense Makhachev's career ledger stands at 29 wins and one loss. The milestone underlines his position among the division's elite and cements the Russian's place in lightweight history.
After the win Makhachev addressed the crowd and opponents: "We Russians have shown we are number one in the world. We will break every record you have. Ian is an excellent fighter, a great man and I have nothing but respect for him. Thank you for this fight."
UFC 330 delivered several notable bouts around the main event, but attention will follow Makhachev as he carries his unprecedented streak into future defenses.
Photo: press material from the event
