Islam Makhachev retained his Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision triumph over challenger Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330, held at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on the morning of Sunday, 16 August.
The victory saw the Russian cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats of MMA, as he racked up a 17th successive win – a new landmark in UFC history, surpassing the previous record of 16 set by the legendary Anderson Silva.
The five-round main event was competitive throughout, but Makhachev's tenacious wrestling and a stunning head kick knockdown in the second round proved to be the difference. All three judges scored the 170-pound contest in his favour: 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47.
"Ian is a great fighter, a good man, and I respect him," Makhachev said. "He gave me a hard time, but I still prove it every fight."
The co-main event also saw a title defended, as Mackenzie Dern dominated Gillian Robertson with superior wrestling and grappling skills to retain her Women’s Strawweight Championship via unanimous decision.
The champion took Robertson's back multiple times and appeared seconds away from securing a rear-naked finish late in the first round. Dern clearly won the first four rounds before visibly tiring and allowing Robertson to take the fifth.
The judges scored the 115-pound title fight for Dern via scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47.
"I definitely wanted to submit her, that was the goal," Dern said. "But in the fourth and fifth rounds, my legs started to get tired. I try to get submissions in all my fights, but anyone fighting for the belt, they are going to have decent defence."
The rest of the main card saw Jalin Turner make quick work of Kaue Fernandes in the first round of their lightweight match; Dustin Stoltzfus submitted Mansur Abdul-Malik in the middleweight division; and Esteban Ribovics stopped Edson Barboza in the second round of their lightweight opener.
The UFC continues next weekend with a Fight Night in Sacramento, California, headlined by a middleweight match between Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues.
UFC 330 – Main card results
- Main event: Islam Makhachev (c) def Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision (R5) – UFC Welterweight Championship
- Co-main: Mackenzie Dern (c) v Gillian Robertson via unanimous decision (R5) – UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship
- Lightweight: Jalin Turner def. Kaue Fernandes via KO (R1)
- Middleweight: Dustin Stoltzfus def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via submission (R2)
- Lightweight: Esteban Ribovics def. Edson Barboza via TKO (R2)