Islam Makhachev came out of UFC 330 with something more important than a new belt defense. The Russian defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in Philadelphia, raising his streak to 17 consecutive UFC wins and further bolstering an argument that is starting to be difficult to dispute: right now he is number one in the pound for pound on his own merits.
It wasn't a demolition or one of those performances where Makhachev turns the opponent into a mere spectator. Garry was competitive, defended many situations well and had moments where he managed to complicate the champion. That's precisely why victory has value.
The scorecards were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Makhachev.
The Irishman presented a different problem to many of his previous rivals. He was considerably longer, moved well, was confident and had specifically prepared his fighting defence to avoid spending twenty-five minutes behind the champion.
Makhachev again found solutions.
His fight ended up being the main difference, but he also left one of the moments of the fight on his feet. In the second round he landed a high kick that sent Garry to the ground and confirmed something that is sometimes overshadowed by his grappling: Islam has long since ceased to be only an extraordinary fighter.
Garry reacted well.
In the third round he managed to keep the fight where he was interested longer, used kicks better and forced the champion to work much harder to find his takedowns. Even in the last rounds he continued to offer resistance when Makhachev's other opponents usually start to disappear physically.
It was not enough.
When Islam needed to control, he controlled. When he had to manage the final minutes, he did. And when Garry seemed to find a way to change the dynamic of the fight, the champion took the fight back to the positions where he had an advantage.
It may not have been the most spectacular performance of his career, but it was probably one of the best explanations of his current position.
Makhachev was already the dominant lightweight champion. He moved up to welterweight, conquered a second division and has now defended the belt against one of the most complicated contenders of the moment. With this victory he also reaches 17 consecutive within UFC, overcoming a historical barrier that for years seemed practically untouchable.
Pound for pound always generates arguments because it tries to compare fighters of different sizes. But Islam's argument no longer depends solely on a streak or having dominated a category.
He has been champion in two divisions and has shown that his style works against naturally bigger men as well.
Ian Machado Garry loses, but he is not destroyed from UFC 330 either.
The Irishman came into the fight with the question of whether he really belonged to the absolute elite of welterweight and, although he did not get the belt, he showed that he can compete for five rounds against the best fighter in the world. At 28 years of age, he still has room to return to a championship fight.
The other champion of the night did not fail either.
Mackenzie Dern defended the strawweight belt for the first time against Gillian Robertson and did so by unanimous decision, with cards of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47.
The fight had a special appeal because it pitted two extraordinary specialists against each other on the ground. Dern managed to prevail for a good part of the twenty-five minutes, better combining his grappling with an increasingly functional strike.
Robertson had her moments and continued to compete until the end, but Dern was more consistent. The champion thus achieves something fundamental to start building a reign: go from conquering the belt to defending it.
Jalin Turner needed far less time to remember why he has always been one of the most physically dangerous lightweights.
Turner knocked out Kauê Fernandes in just 39 seconds. It was a lightning performance and an especially important victory for a fighter who needed to regain momentum. When he manages to impose his length and finds the distance early on, it's still a very serious problem for virtually anyone at 155 pounds.
The big surprise of the main card came with Dustin Stoltzfus.
Mansur Abdul-Malik appeared as one of the clearest favorites of the whole night, but Stoltzfus survived the complicated moments, grew in the fight and ended up submitting him with a dunk at 4:25 of the second round.
It's a particularly tough defeat for Abdul-Malik. His explosiveness and physical condition are still evident, but UFC 330 once again proves that athletic talent needs to be accompanied by experience and the ability to handle bad moments.
Stoltzfus did exactly the opposite: he endured, waited for his opportunity and when he appeared he did not let it escape.
Esteban Ribovics also scored one of the biggest wins of his career by stopping Edson Barboza in the second round.
Facing Barboza is always a serious test of striking, even in the final stage of his career. Ribovics accepted that scenario and managed to impose youth, rhythm and pressure until he found the finish.
For Barboza, each loss inevitably opens the conversation about how much longer he wants to continue competing. His legacy is completely assured after so many years starring in some of the most memorable knockouts and fights in UFC.
The Spanish representation arrived with Joel Álvarez, who had agreed to face Chidi Njokuani at short notice after being in the United States training with Makhachev's team.
The Spaniard could not complete the perfect night for that camp.
Njokuani took the unanimous decision with cards of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. Joel was competitive and managed to stay in the fight for the three rounds, but the American managed the exchanges better and ended up accumulating more effective work.
The defeat must also be analyzed within the context. Álvarez accepted a complicated opponent without having a camp specifically designed for him. He did not get the victory, but he again showed willingness to take risks when an opportunity appeared.
One of the most technically striking moments of the preliminaries came with Charles Johnson.
Johnson submitted Eduardo Chapolin in the third round using a very rare variant of the twister. In a sport where we see mataleons, guillotines and triangles practically every week, getting a finish of this type always turns a performance into something special.
Donte Johnson needed much less elaboration.
His fight against Eric McConico ended with a brutal KO in the first round and reconfirmed that he is one of those names to look out for. Power, explosiveness and an increasing confidence to look for finishing from the beginning.
Tresean Gore and Vicente Luque starred in one of the toughest fights of the night.
Gore ended up winning by unanimous decision, but he had to pay a significant price along the way. Luque managed to do damage and the confrontation left very physical exchanges, although Gore accumulated enough work to convince the three judges.
For Luque, the result is another complicated moment in a career that has accumulated a lot of wear and tear. It is still dangerous, but the welterweight is unforgiving and each new generation arrives with more size, physique and pace.
Neil Magny returned to play Neil Magny.
When it seems that his time among the relevant names in welterweight is ending, he appears again. The veteran defeated Ramiz Brahimaj by TKO in the second round and once again showed why he has been one of the most uncomfortable tests in the division for so many years.
Magny may never have been the most spectacular fighter, but surviving for so many years in such a deep category has enormous merit.
Lucas Fernando also got a late finish against Rafael Tobias. The fight went into the third round before Fernando found the TKO that closed out the fight and allowed him to leave Philadelphia with an important victory.
The opening of the billboard also left one of the most interesting surprises.
Jeremiah Wells submitted Myktybek Orolbai in the third round. Orolbai arrived surrounded by expectations and with a fighting style that seemed especially difficult to neutralize, but Wells managed to stay alive until he found submission.
UFC 330 ended up being a card with much more depth than its two championships alone offered.
Turner regained his most destructive version. Stoltzfus staged a huge upset. Ribovics added Barboza's name to his career. Dern got his first defense. Joel Alvarez couldn't take advantage of the short warning and several names from the preliminaries took important steps.
But it all ends up coming back to the same man.
Islam Makhachev.
For years he inevitably lived under comparison with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Then he had to prove that he could build his own history as a lightweight champion. Later the doubt arose as to whether he would be able to transfer that dominance to a higher division.
At this point, the questions are beginning to run out.
Champion in two categories. First welterweight defense completed. Seventeen consecutive victories within UFC. And a new victory against a young, big aspirant specifically prepared to try to neutralize what makes the Russian different.
Garry managed to compete with him. He even managed to prove that Makhachev can suffer.
But he did not manage to beat him.
And perhaps that is precisely the best way to sum up the current moment of the number one pound for pound of UFC: the rivals seem increasingly prepared to solve the problem, but Islam Makhachev continues to find a different answer.