Islam Makhachev now holds the record for the most consecutive wins in UFC history with 17 in a row after he defeated Ian Machado Garry in a back-and-forth battle in the main event at UFC 330.

The previous record of 16 in a row was held by Anderson Silva, but now Makhachev stands alone while also defending his welterweight title for the first time.

It was a grueling fight that Makhachev had to gut out after he nearly scored a finish early on when he clipped Garry with a head kick that sent the Irishman crashing to the canvas. Garry survived and gave Makhachev everything he could handle, but the Russian's wrestling, grappling and ground control were just too much to overcome.

When it was over, the judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 with Makhachev getting the unanimous decision victory.

"Ian is a great fighter, a good man and I just respect him," Makhachev said after the victory. "He gave me a hard time but I still prove every fight. Thank you for this match. Maybe in Australia, the first one with Alexander Volkanovski, it's also very hard. I feel guys have more power at welterweight, very hard to submit them but still my game is working."

Garry Has No Excuses

As for Garry, he offered no excuses in defeat and repeatedly praised Makhachev's team as the best in the world.

"Nothing surprised me," Garry said after suffering just the second loss of his career. "I have nothing but respect for Islam. I believed in my heart and my soul I was better than him tonight. He won. I have no complaints. No excuses. This is the best camp of my life. I'm proud of my team.

"This man won tonight. I'm OK. I can take that on my sleeve, regroup and get better. I'll be back."

How the Fight Played Out

Some early leg kicks led to Makhachev diving for a single-leg and putting Garry on the ground early in the opening round. Makhachev maintained control as he sought to take Garry's back while peppering the challenger with knees.

In the second round, Makhachev threw a head kick that stunned Garry and sent him crashing to the ground. He immediately secured a takedown and moved into side control where he began raining down punches and elbows. Garry survived but Makhachev made quite a statement.

The third round saw Makhachev secure another takedown, but Garry managed to reverse positions to escape and get back to his feet. Garry started throwing more kicks as he tried to maintain his reach advantage.

The fourth round opened with Garry slamming home a body kick as he continued gaining momentum. Makhachev finally shot inside and secured another takedown, lifting Garry into the air and bringing him crashing back down to the canvas.

In the final round, Garry stung Makhachev with a stiff punch followed by a nasty body kick. But Makhachev exploded and secured the takedown before taking Garry's back on the ground, latching onto the body triangle and punching from the back until time expired.

What's Next

While not his most impressive showing, Makhachev showed he can find a way to win even if some of his best and most effective weapons get neutralized. He maintains his position as welterweight champion and proves again he is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

Meanwhile, Garry may have suffered a loss but he still showed he belongs with the best of the best. Considering his performance, there is a good chance it will not take him that long to earn another shot at welterweight gold.