Press Conference
Dana White On Islam Makhachev, Ian Machado Garry, Edson Barboza, The Philly Crowd & More
UFC CEO Dana White Fielded Questions From The Media At The UFC 330 Post-Fight Press Conference In Philadelphia
UFC 330 saw two reigning champions successfully defend their belts in Philadelphia as Islam Makhachev and Mackenzie Dern both claimed decision wins to retain their titles, while one veteran hit a career milestone and another bade farewell to the Octagon for the final time.
UFC 330: Official Results, Highlights, Post-Fight Interviews & More
After the action had concluded at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly, UFC President and CEO Dana White sat down backstage to answer questions from the assembled media at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference.
Instant Reaction To Islam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry
Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 330
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Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 330
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White shared his immediate thoughts after the main event, where Islam Makhachev outpointed Ian Machado Garry over five rounds to retain the undisputed welterweight title. But, as he revealed to the media, White had a feeling that an upset could have been on the cards going into the contest.
“This is my honest opinion on it. I felt like tonight was set up for the upset. I felt like the upset could happen tonight with so much on the line, all the records that Islam has, and he's going to break Anderson Silva's record,” he said.
“There's weight classes for a reason. Ian Garry is a big, rangy, strong guy who has great takedown defense. I mean, if you look at his takedown defense tonight against Islam, it was impressive. I felt like, I think that Ian is a talented guy. If he had even an ounce of killer instinct in that fifth round…
“He had been beating him to the body. Islam's whole right side was beat up. His face was beat up. You don't come out and hug and shake hands – that s*** drives me f****** crazy – when there's so much at stake.
Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 330
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Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 330
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“You come out in that fifth round with a flying knee or something crazy, and you try to finish the fight. I think that this is one of those fights that Ian will go back and watch and say, "F***, I wish I could do that over again.
“If he came out and tried to destroy and win that last round with everything that he had, I think it's a totally different fight. And then [Islam] exploded up and got his back. And once he took his back and put the hooks in, that was a wrap. He's gonna ride that out till the round ends.”
READ: The Biggest Storylines From UFC 330
“When I went in after the fight, Ian Garry came over and shook my hand. Ian Garry's handshake is like a f****** vice grip, you know. And he is a big, powerful, rangy guy, and you know, for Islam to go in and do what he did to him tonight, you know, physical and mental…”
On His Conversation With Ian Machado Garry After The Fight
White spoke briefly with Machado Garry after the fight, and White was happy to relay what the Irishman said in the aftermath of the contest.
“He was just like, ‘Listen, I know I'm one of the best in the world, and I'll be back.’” he said.
See Who Left Philadelphia With A Bonus
“Well, five minutes ago, if you'd have come out of that f****** corner like a raging f****** bull, you know, we might be having a different conversation right now.”
Islam Makhachev As MMA’s GOAT
Islam Makhachev Octagon Interview | UFC 330
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Islam Makhachev Octagon Interview | UFC 330
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The GOAT debate is a never-ending topic in MMA, but Makhachev’s achievements have seen him enter the conversation. White offered his take on the Russian’s status in the all-time great debate but said that a true judgment shouldn’t come until he’s hung up his gloves and called time on his career.
“I don't know what your opinion is, meaning all of you [media], but if he didn't have that one loss on his record, it'd almost be a no-brainer,” he suggested.
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“And this kid wants to fight all the time. He stays active, and after tonight and what he did tonight, he talks about three, four more fights. So I think what you do is you just let this guy's career play out, and it's almost like what I keep saying about Zuffa Boxing, you know? Judge us at the end of this year, January of 2027. It's like when Islam's career is winding up and starting to wrap up. You know, the more fights he keeps winning and the records he keeps breaking, it'll all speak for itself.”
On Mackenzie Dern’s Dominant Performance To Defeat Gillian Robertson And Retain Her Title
Mackenzie Dern Post-Fight Interview | UFC 330
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Mackenzie Dern Post-Fight Interview | UFC 330
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In the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern showcased her full MMA skillset as she claimed a unanimous decision win over Gillian Robertson.
White admitted that he didn’t expect to see Dern dominate quite as much as she did as she shut down Robertson en route to a decision win.
MORE: Mackenzie Dern Octagon Interview | UFC 330
“I’m a Gillian fan, and you know, I was talking about Joe ’Daddy’ Stevenson and B.J. Penn. I was way off on that one,” he admitted.
“I was actually surprised at how much Mackenzie dominated her on the ground and on the feet.”
A Word On The Retiring Edson Barboza
Brazilian lightweight Edson Barboza closed the book on his UFC career as he laid down the gloves in the Octagon following his loss to Esteban Ribovics. It was an emotional moment, with the Philly crowd giving Barboza a standing ovation as the Brazilian said farewell to the Octagon for the final time.
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“He's such a great kid, and he's been in so many wars, and yeah, I mean, we really like him,” said White.
“He's an absolute savage. It’s been awesome having him fighting for this company, and we really respect him. I like him a lot.”
Potential Multi-Sport Star Bella Mir Is “Built Differently”
White had previously revealed that rising star Bella Mir could be set to compete across multiple sports in a bid to achieve greatness in a number of different disciplines, and that he’d be happy to back her in that goal.
When asked to share more thoughts on Mir’s situation, White explained how Mir is cut from very different cloth to most martial artists.
“It's interesting, because usually that doesn't go well when the next generation tries to fight,” he said.
HIGHLIGHTS: Ribovics Stops Barboza | Johnson Hits Rare Submission
“But she is an absolute freak of nature and incredibly special, and her goals in combat sports aren't just to be the UFC world champion. She wants to be the Zuffa Boxing world champion. She wants to win an Olympic medal. She wants to be the UFC BJJ champion, and you know, shit, she might start slapping too. Who knows what she'll do? But yeah, I'm excited about her. I've been excited about her since she graduated from high school.
“She's just she's built differently, and she went to college, and she was in the middle of a wrestling season, and then she would come home for vacation, Thanksgiving or whatever that you get out of school for, and she would come fighting like jiu-jitsu tournaments and beat the best jiu-jitsu people in the world without even training jiu-jitsu; she was just wrestling. So, she is an absolute standout freak of nature and a one-of-one unicorn.”
On Neil Magny’s 25th UFC Victory
Neil Magny TKOs His Way To A Round 2 Victory | UFC 330
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Neil Magny TKOs His Way To A Round 2 Victory | UFC 330
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The night saw welterweight veteran Neil Magny hit a career milestone as he became only the third fighter in UFC history to achieve 25 career wins. White was full of respect for “The Haitian Sensation” and clearly happy for the veteran’s continued success.
“That’s awesome,” he said.
HIGHLIGHTS: Neil Magny TKOs Brahimaj | Wells Submits Orolbai
“He's such a tough guy, and he was an underdog tonight, right? I don't know how the hell Neil Magny is an underdog, ever. You can never count that guy out in a fight, no matter how old he is. He's just like a Jim Miller.”
On Building Brands From The Ground Up
White has been working across several different organizations of late, with the UFC machine continuing to roll, as well as the launch and development of Zuffa Boxing and the continued growth of Power Slap.
White said the buzz of launching these organizations from the ground up gives him a real buzz, and he really enjoys the process of launching them from scratch.
“Yeah, I love starting from the beginning,” he said.
“I've actually been having fun with this, and I have fun with Slap, too. I like building things, and we just did that fight in Ireland. The place was packed, and the crowd was awesome. It was like being in Philly here. Yeah, I love it.”
A Word On The Philly Crowd
White was also asked about a potential return to Philly, with Saturday night’s show only the fourth time the UFC has hosted a show in the city, and the first time they’ve been back since 2019.
“I love Philly. I love this city. I always have fun here, at other sporting events too, not just ours,” he said.
“So yes, we will be back sooner than this run that we were on here. But you know, COVID's a big part of that too. So it's not just because we didn't want to come back to Philly or something. COVID was a huge part of that.
See How The Judges Scored Every Round Of Every Fight At UFC 330
“And to come in here again, sell out… And think about this. Now, everybody's spoiled with UFC because we sell out every f****** show, and it's blah blah blah. We're in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a Russian Muslim and an Irish kid, and we do a $7 million gate, and we shatter the f****** record here. The biggest event that's ever been held here, we beat it by $2 million. It's crazy, unheard of before.
“If you fought in Philly [before], you'd have to have a guy from Philly in the main event. You know, it's pretty impressive.”
UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry took place live from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 15, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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