Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Islam Makhachev has set the UFC record with his 17th straight victory, reaching the milestone with a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry to successfully defend his welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
The 34-year-old Russian won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third in a competitive fight that never rose to the level of greatness.
Makhachev (29-1) had been tied with UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva with 16 straight victories and has not lost since UFC 192 in 2015.
Makhachev won the welterweight crown in his first attempt when he beat Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025 and was never seriously challenged in his first title defence on Saturday night.
He surpassed a record that had stood for 13 years — and almost did it in the second round.
The 34-year-old Makhachev threw his left foot and caught Irishman Machado Garry flush with a headkick that dropped the challenger to his rear end. Makhachev pounced with a series of punches that had the crowd roaring in anticipation of a quick finish, only for Machado Garry — serenaded throughout with obscenity-laced chants — to hold on and finish the round.
Machado Garry (17-2) rallied in the fifth round with seven significant strikes landed to none for Makhachev.
Yet it wasn’t enough to topple one of UFC’s great fighters as Makhachev — who held the lightweight championship — continues to dominate no matter the weight class.
American-Brazilian Mackenzie Dern retained the strawweight championship in her first title defence with a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Gillian Robertson that could set her up for a fight with division great Zhang Weili.
Dern (17-5) won the vacant strawweight belt in her last fight at UFC 321 and won a lopsided and lacklustre first defense against Robertson.
Dern won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third.
Edson Barboza left his fight gloves on the mat and choked back tears as he retired following a lightweight loss on the main card to Esteben Ribovics.
The 40-year-old Barboza received a standing ovation and was flanked by his family as he officially called it quits after an MMA career that began in 2009. He made his UFC debut a year later and won multiple Fight of the Night honors. He lost the last four fights of his career.
“Every single fight, I promise I did my best,” Barboza said.
