Islam Makhachev won the UFC welterweight championship nine months ago and has not defended it since. He does that tonight against Ian Machado Garry in Philadelphia, and the fight that made him champion remains the clearest scouting report on what Garry is walking into.
Makhachev took the belt from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on November 15, 2025, inside Madison Square Garden, sweeping every round on every scorecard for a 50-45 unanimous decision. Watch the full fight below.
The numbers explain the sweep. Makhachev banked 19 minutes and 10 seconds of control time in a 25-minute fight, went four-for-four on takedown attempts, and held Della Maddalena to 18 significant strikes landed for the entire night. Calf kicks compromised the Australian’s movement inside the opening round and he never recovered his footing.
Makhachev credited the weight cut he no longer has to make. Speaking to ESPN afterward, he said moving up from lightweight meant no draining trip to 155 pounds and a much easier fight week. “My life has changed,” he said.
The win made him the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes and stretched his winning streak to 16, matching Anderson Silva’s promotional record. Number 17 is on the table tonight.
How Makhachev Ended Up At Welterweight
Makhachev vacated the lightweight title in May 2025 rather than defend it a fifth time, a decision Dana White announced alongside the booking of Ilia Topuria against Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound belt at UFC 317. His four consecutive defenses stand as the divisional record.
Della Maddalena’s year has gone sideways since losing the belt. Carlos Prates stopped him by third-round TKO at UFC Perth on May 2, 2026, then called out the winner of tonight’s main event. “I’m going to fight the winner,” Prates said.
What The Tape Says About Tonight
Garry is the bigger man and has spent fight week making sure everyone knows it, with the faceoff photos doing plenty of the talking. Nothing in the UFC 322 footage suggests size on its own solves the problem. Della Maddalena is a natural welterweight with a respected defensive grappling game, and he still spent the bulk of 25 minutes underneath.
The betting market agrees. Makhachev sits around -350 with Garry at +275, roughly where the line opened in June. Our full card odds, picks and predictions break down every fight on the lineup.
UFC 330 runs from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia with the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Mackenzie Dern defends the strawweight championship against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.
