Islam Makhachev set a new high point in octagon history at UFC 330 with a successful title defense against Ian Machado Garry.
Makhachev became the first to ever win 17 consecutive octagon appearances with a unanimous decision victory over Machado Garry to retain his welterweight belt.
The crowd was with Makhachev from the start, and he controlled the fight early on, fighting at his pace. Henry Cejudo noted that Makhachev was good on the feet, 1-0 for the champ.
The crowd's energy was palpable as Makhachev dropped Garry with a head kick in the second round. Mike Bohn tweeted that Makhachev then went for the finish on the ground. Beautiful head kick by Makhachev, then great job swarming Garry after, Cejudo added.
Garry did have some momentum, however, and took the third round, according to Steven Wright. The crowd's enthusiasm waned as Makhachev seemed to tire, with Amanda Ribas noting that Islam got some takedowns that round but did no damage.
The UFC's commentary pointed out that Garry had taken damage from Makhachev, despite having the control and takedowns. Alan Jouban noted that it was a very interesting round to score.
In the end, Makhachev's experience and skill paid off, and he won the fight via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). The question now is, who can end Makhachev's record run?
Brendan Schaub tweeted that Makhachev looked human inside the octagon for the first time in a long time, and that Michael Morales is going to be a big problem. Other fighters are already looking ahead to their next matches, and the stage is set for an exciting future in the UFC.
Source: Yahoo Sports