Islam Makhachev will make the first defence of his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia. The welterweight title fight headlines a card that also features Mackenzie Dern defending her strawweight belt against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.
Islam Makhachev will put his welterweight championship on the line against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, with Mackenzie Dern defending her strawweight title against Gillian Robertson rounding out a two-title card in the co-main event.
Makhachev, 34, arrives in the welterweight division as a dominant force who also holds the pound-for-pound top ranking. The Russian fighter out of Eagles MMA carries a 28-1-0 record and brings a well-rounded game built on elite grappling — averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes — alongside a striking accuracy of 58 percent that ranks among the sharpest in the sport. This will be his first title defense at 170 pounds.
Standing opposite him is the number-one ranked welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry, who at 28 years old has compiled a 17-1-0 record and built his reputation as a dangerous striker. Known as "The Future," Garry stands six-foot-three with a 74-inch reach and lands nearly 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy — numbers that make him one of the division's most prolific offensive fighters. His wrestling and submission game are less prominent, averaging under one takedown per 15 minutes.
In the co-main event, Gillian Robertson challenges for the strawweight belt. The 31-year-old Canadian, ranked 12th in the division and nicknamed "The Savage," holds a 17-8-0 record and is a credible threat on the mat, averaging 2.76 takedowns and 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes out of The Goat Shed Academy.
Why it matters
- Makhachev's first welterweight title defense tests whether his game translates from lightweight dominance to the bigger division
- Garry's elite striking volume and reach advantage set up a striking-versus-grappling contrast with the champion
- Robertson's takedown-heavy style presents a stylistic puzzle for Dern's own ground-focused game in the co-main event
- A stacked two-title card raises the stakes for Philadelphia's first major UFC event
