The first rule to remember when attempting to have a legacy conversation with Islam Makhachev is that it's far too early for the UFC welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king to have any interest in such a discussion. "My legacy is still going. We are not finishing," Makhachev told CBS Sports last month at a Zuffa Boxing event in New York.
"Man, let's go back to this question when I'm retired because, right now, I just want to fight and not focus on any records. The 34-year-old Makhachev (28-1) will get a shot to do just that for the first time as 170-pound champion on Saturday when he headlines UFC 330 in Philadelphia against the No. 1-ranked Ian Machado Garry (17-1), who will boast advantages of five inches in height and four inches in reach against the former lightweight king. While Makhachev's stance against entertaining any form of questioning regarding his place in UFC and/or MMA history is both noble and consistent with the traits of humility and extreme dedication to his craft that has become synonymous with fighters who were trained in Dagestan, Russia, under the tutelage of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov (the late father of current coach and UFC Hall-of-Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov), it's a topic that has simply become unavoidable. red event and UFC Fight Night is included with your subscription!
Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year! Makhachev's 12-year run inside the Octagon has been so dominant, it has made his flash, first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins in 2015 (in Makhachev's second UFC bout) feel like it happened in another era to a completely different fighter. First and foremost, Makhachev is the most accomplished champion in lightweight history, which has arguably been the sport's deepest and most consistently tough division over the past 15 years.
He's the only 155-pound champion in UFC history to defend the title four times and holds victories at lightweight over Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski (twice, including when the two-time featherweight champion was P4P king) and Dustin Poirier. Next, Makhachev is one of just nine UFC fighters to hold world titles in two different weight classes. Should he win as a 3-to-1 favorite on Saturday against the talented Garry, Makhachev would join an even more exclusive group of champ-champs who have defended titles at both weight classes and moved up in weight to do so the second time.
Makhachev also held the UFC's No. 1 spot on the P4P list for 602 consecutive days from October 2023 to the summer of 2025 when, after he vacated his lightweight title, rival Ilia Topuria became a two-division champion and stole the spot. Not only did Makhachev retake P4P kingship in his welterweight debut last November by using his grappling to control just about every second of 25-minute dismantling of defending champion Jack Della Maddalena, Topuria's title loss to Justin Gaethje in June ended any lingering debate. "Yeah, of course [there's no longer a debate,]" Makhachev said.
"I think I'm the most complete fighter, I can strike and I can grapple. Now, I am the best fighter in the world and I'm going to be many years more." The comprehensive victory over Della Maddalena saw many begin to elevate Makhachev into the back end of the top 10 on the list of best fighters in UFC history. But the development with the most potential to catapult him even further up the list is what happens if Makhachev wins at UFC 330 and breaks Anderson Silva's vaunted record for consecutive wins inside the Octagon with 17.
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