Makhachev Defends Title, Sets Record at UFC 330

Islam Makhachev retained the UFC welterweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 for Makhachev, who earned his 17th consecutive UFC win, breaking Anderson Silva's long-standing record for the longest winning streak in UFC history.

Makhachev dropped Garry with a head kick in the second round and controlled much of the fight on the ground, accumulating over 12 minutes of control time and landing seven unanswered takedowns. The 34-year-old Dagestani moved up to welterweight last year after a dominant lightweight reign and won the belt by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November. He became the 11th two-division champion in promotion history and hasn't lost since his second Octagon appearance in 2015.

Garry, 28, earned his first title shot with back-to-back wins over Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates. The Irishman was competitive but ultimately fell short, losing for just the second time in 12 UFC fights, with his only previous setback a unanimous decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 last December.

Dana White's Criticism of Garry's Sportsmanship

UFC president Dana White has been highly critical of Garry's behavior during the fight, particularly in the fifth round, when Garry embraced and complimented Makhachev instead of pressing the action. Speaking at the UFC Sacramento post-fight press conference, White said Garry "might never get another opportunity at Makhachev" and questioned his killer instinct.

"You get this opportunity, you've worked your whole life to get there, and you come out in the fifth round after you do all this great work, and you want to come out and start hugging and shaking hands," White said. "Tell him how f---ing great he is when they're putting the belt on you. You have five f---ing minutes. Every second of that round counts. Don't waste ten seconds telling this guy you f---ing love him."

White also shared a conversation he had with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell during the fight, revealing that he had told Campbell early on that if Garry's game plan was to hold Makhachev against the fence for five rounds, Makhachev would be in trouble in the fifth. White said Garry did good work leading up to the final round but failed to pull the trigger when it mattered.

Makhachev echoed White's sentiment, saying he didn't understand Garry's approach. "Honestly, I don't understand, man. This is the fight. This is not something [where] we have to, like, hug each other every round," Makhachev said. "We're going to break the face, break the eye... He respects too much."

Belal Muhammad Joins the Criticism

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad also criticized Garry on his YouTube channel, saying Garry lacked killer instinct and wasted moments in the fight. Muhammad, who lost to Garry in 2024, said Garry's mindset was wrong, thinking that not being submitted was a win.

"What's with this hugging? You're down in the fifth round. You've got to have the killer instinct," Muhammad said. "Mindset-wise, he needs to flip the switch. His mindset was we didn't get tapped, we got up from a couple of takedowns, those are wins for him... You can't waste an opportunity. You can't waste a moment."

Muhammad also suggested Garry should fight Michael Morales next, warning that a loss to the undefeated contender would further set back Garry's title aspirations.

Carlos Prates Calls Makhachev 'Boring'

Meanwhile, welterweight contender Carlos Prates has called Makhachev "boring" ahead of a potential title clash. Speaking on "The Ariel Helwani Show," Prates said he prefers watching striking and knockouts over grappling-heavy fights.

"I think [Makhachev] is boring. I don't like watching fights at all. Striking fights or some friends, of course, I like to watch. But especially if there's a grappler fighting, I don't like to watch," Prates said, as reported by Bloody Elbow.

Prates is coming off back-to-back wins over former UFC welterweight champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards, and he has claimed the UFC has promised him the next title shot at 170 pounds. He has a 7-1 UFC record with seven knockouts.

Makhachev, who said after UFC 330 that he wants to fight before Ramadan, addressed a potential matchup with Prates, acknowledging that Prates deserves a shot. No timeline for the fight has been announced, but Prates has suggested a UFC 334 headliner at Madison Square Garden on November 14.

What's Next for Garry?

Garry, who has maintained that his goal of a decade of dominance remains intact, will likely need to work his way back up the welterweight rankings. UFC's Meta rankings currently list Garry as the No. 2 welterweight, with Prates above him. Garry defeated Prates via unanimous decision in April 2025, but that result may not be enough to earn him an immediate rematch given the criticism he has faced.

White's comments have raised questions about Garry's future in the title picture, with the UFC president suggesting that Garry may never get another shot at Makhachev. For now, Garry's next move remains unclear, but the fallout from UFC 330 is likely to follow him for some time.