A record that had sat untouched for 13 years
Nobody had gotten near 16 straight UFC wins since Anderson Silva stopped winning them in 2013. Islam Makhachev now has 17.
The Russian (29-1) kept his welterweight belt in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia last night, beating Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry (17-2) by unanimous decision. Two judges had it 49-46, the third 48-47.
It took the full 25 minutes and it was mostly grinding work. Top control, grappling exchange after grappling exchange, and a heavy high kick in the second round as a reminder that the striking has not gone anywhere.
Garry was fighting to become Ireland’s second undisputed champion. He got out of the bad positions, but he never turned the fight. “I have nothing but respect for Islam, he won. No complaints, no excuses,” he said in the octagon. Makhachev was blunt about it: “It is always hard.”
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Dern defends her belt the only way she knows how
Mackenzie Dern (17-5) made her first defense of the women’s strawweight title against Canada’s Gillian Robertson (17-9). The scorecards read the same as the main event: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.
Two Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists, and the one who owned the ground for five rounds won. Dern nearly ended it in the first, sinking a rear naked choke as the horn went. She had spent the whole week promising a finish. A complete performance had to do instead.
Barboza left his gloves in the middle of the cage
Esteban Ribovics (16-3) stopped Edson Barboza (24-15) at 1:32 of round two, pinning him on the fence with combinations, low kicks and body shots. Fourth straight loss for the 40-year-old Brazilian. He announced his retirement minutes later and set his gloves down in the center of the octagon.
Barboza signed with the UFC in November 2010. He leaves at 18-15 in the promotion with 14 finishes and 10 Fight of the Night bonuses.
Jalin Turner (16-9) needed 39 seconds to get through Kaue Fernandes earlier in the night. The promotion is back out west next Saturday in Sacramento, with Anthony Hernandez against Gregory Rodrigues.
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