Islam Makhachev Breaks Anderson Silva’s Record With 17th Straight Win at UFC 330

The Result

Islam Makhachev retained his UFC welterweight title Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision to set a new record for the most consecutive wins in UFC history. Two judges scored it 49-46 for the champion, and a third had it 48-47. The victory moved Makhachev to 29-1 and gave him 17 straight wins inside the Octagon, surpassing the previous record of 16 held by former middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

How the Fight Went

Makhachev had his most success in the early rounds, using his wrestling to control Garry and landing a right hand followed by a left high kick in the second round that dropped the Irishman and nearly ended the contest. Garry recovered and began finding his range on the feet as the fight wore on, landing some of his best work in the fourth round when Makhachev began to show signs of slowing down.
Each time Garry appeared to be building momentum, Makhachev responded with a takedown to reset the fight on the ground, where his advantage was clear. The final round followed the same pattern — Garry pushed forward, Makhachev took him down and took his back, finishing the fight in control and sealing the scorecards.
Garry embraced Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s mentor and trainer, before the fight began. The gesture drew a warm reaction from the crowd and lightened what had been a tense and at times contentious fight week between the camps, though the action inside the Octagon was competitive enough to satisfy the 19,238 fans in attendance.

The Record

Makhachev’s lone career loss came in 2015 in just his second UFC fight. Since then he has not lost, building a streak across two weight classes that now stands alone in UFC history. Anderson Silva’s previous record of 16 consecutive wins was set entirely at middleweight between 2006 and 2012 and had been considered one of the most untouchable records in the sport. Makhachev broke it at 34 years old with no sign of slowing down.
The fighters closest to him on the all-time list have all suffered recent setbacks. Kamaru Usman, who held 15 consecutive wins, and Merab Dvalishvili, who had 14, have both lost recently, meaning no active fighter is in realistic position to challenge Makhachev’s mark anytime soon.

The Co-Main Event

Jalin Turner stopped Kaue Fernandes by knockout just 39 seconds into round one at lightweight. Esteban Ribovics defeated Edson Barboza by TKO in round two, after which Barboza announced his retirement in an emotional interview with Joe Rogan. Dustin Stoltzfus submitted Mansur Abdul-Malik in round two.

Gate Record

UFC 330 set a new gate record for the Xfinity Mobile Arena, generating $6.7 million in ticket revenue. Philadelphia had not hosted a UFC event in seven years before Saturday night.

What’s Next

Makhachev is expected to next defend the welterweight title against number three ranked Michael Morales, who was present in Philadelphia as the backup fighter for Saturday’s main event.

Source: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, UFC.com, Bloody Elbow, MMA Junkie, Tapology