Islam Makhachev sets new UFC record against Ian Garry

Makhachev extends his winning streak to 17 fights

In the main event of UFC 330 yesterday, Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry faced off. In the end, Islam Makhachev won the fight by unanimous decision, cementing his status as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

Islam Makhachev started strong and dominated his opponent in the first round with his ring-based fighting style. In the second round, he sent Ian Machado Garry reeling with a spectacular high kick and also controlled the rest of that round on the ground. In the third round, Ian Machado Garry managed to get back on his feet a bit better. At the same time, however, Islam Makhachev seemed a little tired and made hardly any real takedown attempts in the round. Things continued in a similar vein in the fourth round. Ian Machado Garry set the pace in this round with his strikes and made up some ground. After these four rounds, the fight seemed relatively even, as both fighters had led for two rounds each.

However, Islam Makhachev came back much stronger in the fifth round. He landed a takedown and brought his opponent to the ground. He held that position until the end. When the fight was over, he was declared the unanimous winner with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47.

With this victory, Islam Makhachev is now on a 17-fight winning streak and has set a new UFC record for the longest active winning streak in the promotion's history. For Ian Machado Garry, this loss might be a little disappointing. He worked hard and went into the fight with a lot of confidence. Afterward, he said:

“Nothing surprised me. I have nothing but respect for Islam. We should all sit back, show him respect, to come up here and win that second belt. I believed in my heart and in my soul, I was better than him tonight. He won. I have no complaints, no excuses”

he said.

Still, he showed a great deal of respect, something he did even during the fight. Maybe Ian Machado Garry will get another shot at the title, and this time he won’t miss it. Overall, it was still a solid performance on his part, but Islam Makhachev just didn’t let up.

I don’t think Ian Machado Garry should be disappointed in any way. It’s just that Islam Makhachev is still someone who isn’t easily dominated. It was a very open and exciting fight, especially after the fourth round. What do you think, did Islam Makhachev deserve to win?