Islam Makhachev is without a doubt one of the most talented fighters to ever step foot inside the Octagon. His fight IQ is tremendous. His striking is underrated and should be respected more. His wrestling and grappling? All you have to do is know that his mentor is Khabib Nurmagomedov, and you have your answer.
Makhachev made fairly easy work of Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, retaining the UFC welterweight championship. Few people have ever given Makhachev any trouble in the Octagon – the only obvious answers would be Adriano Martins (Makhachev’s sole loss) and the first fight with Alexander Volkanovski. In the Octagon, Makhachev is a puzzle, and it seems it hasn’t gotten any easier to figure out as he’s evolved as a fighter.
And while the UFC 330 main event may not have been the most fun fight, or the most competitive fight, or even UFC CEO and President Dana White’s favorite fight, for that matter, it did play an important role when it comes to the ever-evolving legacy of Makhachev.
Firstly, as noted, he retained the UFC welterweight championship. It was Makhachev’s first defense of the title since claiming it with a win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this past November. That may not sound like much of a big deal, but it changes when you add the context of Makhachev’s previous run as UFC lightweight king.
Makhachev has now won and defended UFC championships in two different weight divisions. While there have been other athletes who have won UFC titles in two different weight classes, how many of them can say they’ve won a championship and defended it in both? Only two: One is Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist before becoming one of the sport’s two-belt champions. The other is Amanda Nunes – who is seen as one of the greatest athletes in MMA history, let alone one of the, if not the absolute, greatest women’s athletes in MMA history. Everyone else either was stripped of a championship, vacated a championship, or never successfully defended the gold in one of their weight classes.
UFC 330 was also a significant win because it wasn’t just about retaining the championship for Makhachev. The win also marks Makhachev’s 17th straight victory in the Octagon, giving Makhachev sole possession of the longest win streak in UFC history. Who was the person he was tied with? Anderson Silva – only one of the UFC’s most popular figures and the former longtime UFC middleweight champion.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Makhachev’s win has proven he is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now. It wasn’t that long ago when you could have argued two others alongside Makhachev, Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira, for this claim. All three have won UFC titles in multiple weight classes, and all three have left an impact one way or another in the Octagon at this point in their careers.
But Topuria and Pereira’s losses two months ago at the UFC White House card helped further the argument in Makhachev’s favor. Pereira went for ultimate glory to try and become the only UFC fighter to win belts in three weight classes; instead, he left with losses in all three weight classes. Topuria looked to accomplish what Makhachev just did with two division title wins and defenses; instead, Justin Gaethje had one of the all-time UFC moments, even if it cost us Topuria vs. Makhachev in the long run.
That’s not to dismiss Topuria and Pereira’s accomplishments – it’s only to say that the door was left open for Makhachev at UFC 330, and Makhachev made the most of the opportunity in front of him.
And now, this is where Makhachev’s legacy takes its most significant turn. The question is no longer whether he belongs among the greatest fighters of this generation; that answer seems pretty obvious. Now it’s a matter of whether he deserves to be mentioned alongside the sport’s all-time standard-bearers. Does Makhachev deserve to be placed in the same conversation as the likes of the ones considered GOATs: Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Amanda Nunes, and, certainly not least, his own mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov?
There is debate for if this is realistic – after all, Makhachev turns 35 in October, and he’ll still need a strong run as champion at 170 to take on other records held by some of this bunch. But Makhachev does not need to be placed above any of them to enter this conversation; he’s got a resume that speaks for itself.
There will always be arguments over eras, opponents, and the things that define greatness and GOAT status. But Makhachev’s win this past Saturday night has made this clear: He IS the best currently. He’s one of the greatest in this current generation of fighters. And he’s on his way to building a case for himself to be considered an all-timer, if he isn’t one already.
