For years, the UFC GOAT debate has largely revolved around names like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva. Plenty of elite fighters have come along since, but very few have managed to put themselves in the same conversation as those three. Islam Makhachev could change that at UFC 330.
The Dagestani isn’t just looking to defend his welterweight title against Ian Garry. He also has a chance to break Anderson Silva’s record for the longest winning streak in UFC history. Makhachev enters the fight with 16 consecutive UFC wins, already matching Silva’s legendary mark.
A victory over Garry would give him 17 straight wins and put him alone at the top of the record books. But even if Makhachev falls short of setting a new record, Dustin Poirier believes his run is already more impressive than Silva’s. The reason? Makhachev has cleaned out the lightweight division, moved up to welterweight, and captured gold in both weight classes.
🤯📊 Islam Makhachev has the chance to break a record set by Anderson Silva in 2012 for the longest win streak in UFC history.
Makhachev and Silva are both tied at first place with 16 wins. An insane stat to beat. pic.twitter.com/69VssUO4Ur
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 10, 2026
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During a recent segment of Deep Waters, Makhachev’s UFC 302 opponent said, “Anderson, his record was crazy, but what makes it more impressive is he’s clearing out weight classes. He’s beaten the best ’45’er, cleaned out 155, went up, took the belt from the 170. That’s what pound-for-pound really is.”
To put Silva’s legendary run into perspective, “The Spider” went unbeaten for 16 straight fights between June 28, 2006, and October 13, 2012. He finished 14 of those 16 victories, giving him an impressive 87.5% finishing rate during the streak.
Silva also put together 10 consecutive middleweight title defenses during his incredible 2,457-day reign as champion. He wasn’t afraid to test himself at light heavyweight either, stepping up three times and picking up wins over the likes of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
His resume during that stretch was stacked with elite names, including Rich Franklin twice, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, and Chris Leben. The streak finally came to an end at UFC 162 when Chris Weidman stunned the MMA world by knocking Silva out 13 years ago.
The big difference, however, is that Silva never managed to capture a second UFC title. Makhachev, meanwhile, has already done exactly that, which is one of the biggest reasons Poirier believes his run deserves even more credit.
Makhachev took control of the lightweight division when he defeated Charles Oliveira for the title at UFC 280. He followed that up with several successful defenses against elite competition, including Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Dustin Poirier, before deciding it was time for a new challenge at 170 pounds.
The Dagestani also broke the UFC record for the most lightweight title defenses with four when he defeated Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January 2025. He then moved up to welterweight and dethroned Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, becoming the 11th UFC fighter to win titles in two divisions.
Now, Makhachev is looking to add another chapter to that already impressive resume. A win over the rangy and dangerous Ian Garry at UFC 330 would not only mark his first successful welterweight title defense but also give him the longest winning streak in UFC history.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
