Islam Makhachev walks into the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on August 15 carrying a number that has waited 14 years to be broken. He defends the UFC welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in his first title fight since winning the belt.
The Record
Makhachev has won 16 straight fights inside the UFC. That streak ties the record Anderson Silva built between 2006 and 2012, a run that ended when Chris Weidman knocked him out and took the middleweight title away.
The bout in Philadelphia will also be Makhachev’s first defense of the welterweight belt, a division contested up to 77.3 kilograms.
One Win From History
A win over Garry would leave Makhachev standing alone atop the UFC’s win-streak list. No other fighter in the promotion’s history has strung together more than 16 consecutive victories.
“I have to beat Ian Garry to beat Anderson Silva’s record, and it’s not going to be just 17, it’s going to be many more,” Makhachev said.
Historical Company
Kamaru Usman holds the next-longest run in UFC history, with 15 straight wins. Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson share third place, each with 13 consecutive victories.
Silva’s dominance was not limited to the streak. He also defended the belt 11 times, a total tied with Amanda Nunes for fourth among UFC champions all-time.
Numbers like these are part of the broader economics of the sport, a subject explored in our look at the business of pay-per-view in combat sports.
The Challenger
Garry carries a 17-1 professional record into the cage. He has been unbeaten inside the UFC since a loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024, most recently beating Belal Muhammad.
He earned this title shot by beating Muhammad and Carlos Prates in back-to-back fights.
Brazilian Ties
Garry adopted his wife Layla Machado’s surname and learned Portuguese. He trains at Chute Boxe Diego Lima in São Paulo, alongside former lightweight champion Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira.
Reading the Challenger
Makhachev has also taken aim at how Garry presents himself before the cameras. “It looks like somebody in the house controls him and tells him what to say in the interview,” Makhachev said.
Road to the Belt
Makhachev won the welterweight title at UFC 322 on November 16, 2025. He beat Jack Della Maddalena by decision over five rounds to claim the belt.
His professional record now stands at 28 wins and a single loss.
Card and Broadcast
Mackenzie Dern also defends her strawweight title on the UFC 330 card, facing Gillian Robertson.
The broadcast in Brazil is scheduled for 5 p.m. Brasília time on Paramount+, according to UFC.com.br.
How that audience compares to boxing’s is a separate question, one covered in our piece on how combat sports audiences differ.
The Stakes
For Makhachev, Philadelphia is not just another title defense. It is the fight that decides whether Silva’s name stands alone at the top of the UFC record books, or shares it with the man chasing it now.
