UFC 330 analysis: Islam Makhachev breaks Anderson Silva record after UD win vs Ian Machado Garry

Islam Makhachev beat Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 on Sunday, breaking Anderson Silva’s winning-streak record in the process.

However, two of the judges’ 49-46 cards arguably undersold the challenger’s performance.

While the welterweight champion clearly did enough to win, Garry’s adjustments and resistance created a much more competitive contest than the scorecards suggested.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s MMA expert Aidan Leo offers his analysis of the main event in Philadelphia.

Makhachev proved he remains the benchmark

There should be no attempt to manufacture controversy around the result.

Makhachev won.

The champion’s wrestling and positional grappling were decisive in the opening stages, while his second-round head kick created the biggest moment of the fight before he followed it with another takedown and ground-and-pound.

That early control established the platform for Makhachev’s victory and demonstrated why taking him down a different tactical path is so difficult.

But Garry did something important after those opening rounds: he adapted.

READ MORE ON THE MAIN EVENT: UFC 330 reaction: Islam Makhachev beats Ian Garry by decision but scorecards raise questions

Garry adjustments changed the welterweight fight

The third round was where the challenger began making Makhachev look considerably less comfortable.

Garry used his length, kicks, and movement more effectively, while his takedown defence improved as the fight progressed. 

He began attacking Makhachev’s body and legs, forcing the champion to work harder to establish his wrestling.

That momentum continued into the fourth.

Garry opened the round with a strong body kick before Makhachev eventually secured another takedown. 

However, Garry continued working from the ground and against the fence while landing meaningful strikes of his own.

This is where the judging discussion becomes particularly interesting.

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The round four scoring debate explained

Two judges gave Makhachev the fourth round as part of their 49-46 scorecards, while the third judge scored the fight 48-47.

The latter score is much closer to how I saw the fight: Makhachev won rounds one, two, and five, while Garry had a strong case for rounds three and four.

The important distinction is between control and effective grappling.

Makhachev’s ability to hold position is obviously valuable, but control time should not automatically become a substitute for meaningful offensive work. 

If a fighter is controlling an opponent without consistently producing damage, threatening submissions, or significantly advancing their position, the duration of that control shouldn’t simply erase the opponent’s effective striking.

That’s why round four is worth debating.

It isn’t an argument that Garry won the fight. He didn’t.

It’s an argument that Garry did enough in that particular round to make 49-46 feel unnecessarily harsh.

Round five ultimately settled the contest

The fifth round provided the clearest example of Makhachev’s ability to turn control into effective grappling.

Garry needed to finish strongly, but he wasn’t active enough early in the round and struggled to close the distance. 

Makhachev eventually secured the takedown, took Garry’s back, and established a body triangle while looking for submissions.

He then landed punches from the position as the clock ran down.

It was enough to close out the fight and, in my view, earn the 48-47 victory.

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Garry’s next evolution is his hands

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect for Garry is that he demonstrated he can survive Makhachev’s world.

His cardio held up, his takedown defence improved, and he became increasingly difficult for the champion to control as the fight progressed.

The next step is his hands.

Garry doesn’t need to suddenly become a knockout artist. His size, range, and movement are already significant weapons. 

But he needs greater commitment to his boxing – particularly the jabs, hooks, and combinations that can turn his range advantage into sustained scoring.

Against Makhachev, there were moments when Garry created the distance he wanted without doing enough with it.

That’s an area he can improve.

Makhachev still the man to beat

Ultimately, UFC 330 reinforced rather than diminished Makhachev’s status.

He faced a difficult stylistic challenge, absorbed Garry’s adjustments, and found a way to win the fifth round when the fight was there to be taken.

Garry, meanwhile, leaves with considerable credit despite suffering only the second defeat of his career. 

Even Garry acknowledged afterwards that Makhachev won and offered no excuses.

The debate shouldn’t be whether the champion won – he did. 

It should be whether the judging properly rewarded effective fighting when Garry began turning the contest into a genuine battle rather than simply surviving Makhachev’s grappling.

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