UFC 330

UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry
The poster for UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateAugust 15, 2026 (2026-08-15)
VenueXfinity Mobile Arena
CityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Attendance19,238
Total gate$6,715,776
Event chronology
UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues

UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 15, 2026, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the twenty-sixth UFC event of the year. The card consisted of twelve bouts and was streamed on Paramount+.

The card's main event featured UFC Welterweight Champion Islam Makhachev defending his title against Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev defeated Garry by unanimous decision, surpassing Anderson Silva's record for the longest winning streak in UFC history. The co-main event featured UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Mackenzie Dern defending her title against Gillian Robertson.

Background

The event marked the promotion's fourth visit to Philadelphia, its first event since UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje in March 2019 and first numbered event since UFC 133 in August 2011.

Card changes

A middleweight bout between Caio Borralho and Joe Pyfer was reportedly being targeted for the event. However, Borralho announced that he was unable to compete due to complications from a rib injury, and the matchup was abandoned. Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius were scheduled to meet in a women's flyweight bout at the event, but Blanchfield pulled out due to injury, so the bout was rescheduled for October at UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott.

A welterweight bout between Geoff Neal and Chidi Njokuani was scheduled for the event. However, Neal had to withdraw for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Joel Álvarez. Jose Ochoa was scheduled to face former LFA Flyweight Champion Charles Johnson in a flyweight bout. However, Ochoa pulled out for undisclosed reasons three days before the event and was replaced by promotional newcomer and fellow former LFA flyweight champion Eduardo Henrique in a 130 pound catchweight bout.

A middleweight bout between Eric McConico and undefeated prospect Donte Johnson took place at the event. The bout was originally scheduled to take place one week prior at UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld, but was shifted to this event for undisclosed reasons.

Event

Preliminary card

In the first fight of the event, Myktybek Orolbai faced Jeremiah Wells. The fight saw Orolbai have considerable success in the first two rounds, with Orolbai scoring takedowns on Wells and engaging in ground and pounds. However, during a striking exchange in the third round, Wells successfully put Orolbai in a ninja choke submission and put him unconscious.

Main card

Dern vs. Robertson

A UFC Women's Strawweight Championship bout between current champion Mackenzie Dern and Gillian Robertson took place at the event.

The fight saw Dern dominate Robertson for the first four rounds, until the visibly tired Dern lost the final round. Dern won the first round convincingly, controlling Robertson and nearly submitting her in the final 30 seconds as she tried to find a rear-naked choke. Dern continued to score takedowns against Robertson, winning over 10 minutes of control. Robertson saw success in the last round outstriking Dern, but was unable to capitalize enough for a finish and lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Makhachev vs. Garry

A UFC Welterweight Championship bout between current champion (also former UFC Lightweight Champion) Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry headlined the event. Michael Morales served as backup and potential replacement for this fight should one of the contenders be injured. Both fighters had weighed in successfully at exactly 170lb. Makhachev claimed following the fight that he weighed 182lb in the cage.

The prelude to the fight was marked by Garry refusing to trash-talk or denigrate Makhachev's accomplishments, with Garry instead praising Makhachev as the "best fighter walking the planet right now until proven otherwise." Garry framed himself as the as best opponent Makhachev ever faced, focusing on promoting his own fight intelligence. When Makhachev was asked a question about the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Garry interrupted that Nurmagomedov would be proud, prompting ire from Makhachev. Makhachev dismissed Garry as an opponent, stating that he can outstrike him and promised to try and finish him in the early rounds. Although some similarities were raised between Conor McGregor's fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, owing to both bouts being between a Dagestani champion and an Irish challenger, the lack of significant animosity between the fighters was contrasted.

The fight began with Makhachev taking down Garry in his first attempt, controlling the round with the challenger trapped against the cage. The second round saw Makhachev outstrike Garry standing up, landing a head kick that knocked Garry down and causing Garry to scramble to survive the round. The third round saw Garry see a significant amount of success with his kicks and punches, bloodying Makhachev's face with punches during clinches. The fourth round saw Makhachev continue to struggle to control Garry, pushing him against the wall and grappling him but being unable to secure significant control or land strikes on him. The fifth round saw Makhachev succeed in regaining control, taking Garry down and going to the back position to pummel Garry's face with elbows and punches. Although the fight saw Garry land 29 significant strikes to Makhachev's 22, the significant amount of control Makhachev demonstrated convinced the judges of his victory, with two judges giving all rounds except 3 to Makhachev, and the remaining judge giving rounds 3 and 4 to Garry.

Results

Main card (Paramount+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Welterweight Islam Makhachev (c) def. Ian Machado Garry Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 49–46, 48–47) 5 5:00
Women's Strawweight Mackenzie Dern (c) def. Gillian Robertson Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 49–46, 48–47) 5 5:00
Lightweight Jalin Turner def. Kauê Fernandes KO (punches) 1 0:39
Middleweight Dustin Stoltzfus def. Mansur Abdul-Malik Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 4:25
Lightweight Esteban Ribovics def. Edson Barboza TKO (punches) 2 1:32
Preliminary card (Paramount+)
Welterweight Chidi Njokuani def. Joel Álvarez Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Catchweight (130 lb) Charles Johnson def. Eduardo Henrique Submission (twister) 3 1:36
Middleweight Donte Johnson def. Eric McConico Jr. KO (punches) 1 1:38
Middleweight Tresean Gore def. Vicente Luque Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Early preliminary card (Paramount+)
Light Heavyweight Lucas Fernando def. Rafael Tobias TKO (knee to the body and elbows) 3 1:10
Welterweight Neil Magny def. Ramiz Brahimaj TKO (punches) 2 3:20
Welterweight Jeremiah Wells def. Myktybek Orolbai Technical Submission (ninja choke) 3 1:24
  1. ↑ For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
  2. ↑ For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship.
  3. ↑ Henrique was deducted one point in round 1 due to an illegal knee to a grounded opponent.

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $100,000 bonuses. The other finishes received $25,000 additional bonuses.

Reception

The fight between Makhachev and Garry was deemed to be underwhelming by several pundits, who considered it to be a highly skilled, but less than entertaining affair. Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting described it as "impressive," despite not being "fun." Kevin Kinkead of Crossing Board stated that the fight was "not an instant classic," but acknowledged the talent of both fighters. Garry's repeated displays of respect earned the ire of Dana White and some observers, although he was defended by Chuck Mindenhall of Uncrowned for winning rounds off Makhachev. Joe Rogan suggested following the fight that Makhachev could return to Lightweight, noting that he struggled against heavier opponents at 170 pounds.

With his title victory, Islam Makhachev surpassed former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva's record of 16 consecutive UFC wins. The record was held by Silva for nearly 14 years, as his 16-fight streak ran from June 2006 to October 2012. Makhachev's record-setting win streak began in September 2016. Commentators were divided over if this record being broken indicated if Makhachev was one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Michael Chiesa argued that Makhachev had surpassed Georges St. Pierre by defending his title at multiple weight classes. Deadspin argued that Makhachev defending his title elevated him above other double champions, though noted that other records would require Makhachev to defend his title more times to be broken. Former champions Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal cast doubt on Makhachev's case, noting that he had less title defenses than other contenders.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Mike Bohn (2026-08-16). "UFC 330 post-event facts: Islam Makhachev breaks new ground in history". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
  2. 1 2 Staff (2026-04-14). "Philadelphia to host UFC 330 in August". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  3. ↑ Kyle Dimond (2026-06-06). "Caio Borralho reveals he's out of unannounced UFC 330 matchup due to significant rib injury". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
  4. ↑ Tom Rashid (2026-06-18). "Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius set for UFC 330". boxingnews.com. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  5. ↑ Nolan King (2026-07-23). "UFC 330 loses Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  6. ↑ Jay Anderson (2026-07-23). "Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius shifts from UFC 330, targeted for Edmonton". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
  7. ↑ Marcel Dorff (2026-06-26). "Texas natives aiming for a win at UFC 330 in Philadelphia". heavy.com. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  8. ↑ Kyle Dimond (2026-07-29). "UFC 330 reportedly down another fight as ex-main eventer withdraws from card Islam Makhachev mocked". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  9. ↑ Kyle Dimond (2026-08-03). "UFC 330 matchup saved as Islam Makhachev's sparring partner steps in to replace injured Geoff Neal". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  10. ↑ Sourav Chakraborty (2026-07-14). "Charles Johnson vs. Jose Ochoa added to UFC 330". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  11. ↑ Nolan King (2026-08-12). "UFC 330 loses main card fighter". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  12. ↑ Drew Beaupre (2026-07-23). "UFC 330 loses massive fight just weeks before Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry". si.com. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  13. ↑ Marcel Dorff (2026-07-02). "Australian sensation Quillan Salkilld gets first UFC main event". heavy.com. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  14. ↑ Lewis Thompson (2026-08-12). "MMA UFC 330 fighter withdraws just days out from event as late replacement found". talksport.com. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  15. ↑ Holt, Nick (2026-08-15). "UFC 330: Jeremiah Wells Submits Myktybek Orolbai in Thrilling Comeback, But Uncertain on Future". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  16. ↑ Pranav Pandey (2026-05-20). "Mackenzie Dern reportedly draws 25-fight strawweight veteran for first title defense at UFC 330 in Philadelphia". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  17. ↑ Okamoto, Brett. "Dern dominates Robertson on ground to retain title at UFC 330". ESPN. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  18. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (2026-06-18). "Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry, Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson announced for UFC 330". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  19. ↑ Simon Samano (2026-06-25). "Michael Morales says he'll weigh in as backup for UFC 330 title fight". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  20. ↑ "Official Weigh-In Results | UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry | UFC". www.ufc.com. 2026-08-14. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  21. ↑ prostokulaki (2026-08-17). "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  22. ↑ "Ian Garry Explains Why He Refuses to Trash Talk Islam Makhachev Before UFC 330 - NY FIGHTS". 2026-08-12. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  23. ↑ Aulino, Giancarlo (2026-08-05). "Ian Machado Garry Makes Bold Islam Makhachev Claim Ahead of UFC 330". HEAVY. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  24. ↑ "Makhachev tells Garry to 'shut up' as UFC star answers emotional question for him". The Independent. 2026-08-14. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  25. ↑ Martin, Damon (2026-08-12). "Islam Makhachev scoffs at Ian Machado Garry being his toughest opponent to date at UFC 330: 'It's not going to be my biggest challenge'". MMA Fighting: UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) News, Results. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  26. ↑ Rashid, Tom (2026-08-03). "Makhachev Vows To Take More Risks Against Garry". Yardbarker. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  27. ↑ Hannoun, Farah. "Coach: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry has 'zero similarities to Conor vs. Khabib'". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  28. ↑ "UFC 330: Islam Makhachev beats Ian Machado Garry to break UFC win record". BBC Sport. 2026-08-16. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  29. ↑ "UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  30. ↑ Matt Erickson (2026-08-16). "UFC 330 bonuses: Ultra-rare Scottish twister leads $100K Philly winners". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  31. ↑ Meshew, Jed (2026-08-17). "UFC 330 Report: What do we make of Islam Makhachev's win over Ian Machado Garry?". MMA Fighting: UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) News, Results. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  32. ↑ Kinkead, Kevin (2026-08-17). "10 Wrap-Up Thoughts on UFC 330 in South Philly". Crossing Broad. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  33. ↑ read, Chuck MindenhallUncrowned·6 min (2026-08-16). "UFC 330: Love or hate Ian Machado Garry, he deserves respect after battling Islam Makhachev in Philadelphia". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2026-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  34. ↑ "Joe Rogan Shares Unique Possibility for Islam Makhachev After Record-Breaking UFC Win". MMA Knockout On SI. 2026-08-19. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  35. ↑ Brett Okamoto (2026-08-16). "Islam Makhachev notches 17th consecutive victory at UFC 330". espn.com. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  36. ↑ "Islam Makhachev has surpassed Georges St-Pierre as the second best of all time says UFC commentator". bloodyelbow.com. 2026-08-18. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  37. ↑ Puleo, Mark (2026-08-16). "Islam Makhachev breaks Anderson Silva's UFC record with 17th straight win in title defense". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
  38. ↑ "Islam Makhachev Just Took His UFC Legacy to Another Level | Deadspin.com". deadspin.com. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
  39. ↑ Chakraborty, Sourav. "Islam Makhachev's UFC GOAT case gets pushback from former champs". Sherdog. Retrieved 2026-08-19.