Islam just broke a UFC record once thought untouchable — on the same night UFC 330 shattered a mark of its own

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 15: Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts after a victory against Ian Machado Garry of Ireland in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 330 event at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

High fives and butt slaps — from the locker room all the way to the front office.

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev defended his 170-pound title by defeating No. 2-ranked contender Ian Machado Garry atop the UFC 330 fight card last Sat. night (Aug. 15, 2026) at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Defeating “The Future” by way of unanimous decision gave Makhachev 17 straight wins inside the Octagon, snapping the previous record held by former middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Here’s the current UFC win streak leaderboard:

1. Islam Makhachev (17)
2. Anderson Silva (16)
3. Kamaru Usman (15)
4. Merab Dvalishvili (14)

Former UFC champions Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Max Holloway are all tied at No. 5 with 13 straight wins. Holloway is the only fighter among the five who is still active but is currently 2-2 across his last five.

In addition, Usman and Dvalishvili are both coming off losses so it would appear that Makhachev’s new mark will stand for quite some time, regardless of whether or not he adds to his current record when he returns later this year (or in early 2027, depending on his availability).

It’s worth noting the bulk of his work was done at lightweight, where he also held the world title. As for Silva (34-11, 1 NC), one of the all-time greats, his 16-fight win streak included 11 championship contests with 10 title defenses. Makhachev, 34, has seven title fight wins with five title defenses.

The promotion set a new record of its own, scoring a $6.7 million gate for UFC 330. That’s roughly $2 million over the previous mark with a record-setting 19,238 fans in attendance. I’m sure the fact that Philly fans have been waiting seven years for the promotion to return helped with the massive turnout.

What’s next?

For Makhachev (29-1) it’s likely to be a welterweight title defense against No. 3-ranked Michael Morales, who was in attendance at UFC 330 after making weight as backup. For UFC, it’s a return to “The Golden State” for the upcoming UFC Sacramento fight card on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center in California.

For more UFC 330 results and highlights click here.