Islam Makhachev’s Case for G.O.A.T. Status

Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts to his win over Jack Della Maddalena of Australia in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 322 event at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Where Does A Win At UFC 330 Put The Welterweight Champ In The Pantheon?

By E. Spencer Kyte • Aug. 14, 2026

As Islam Makhachev enters the Octagon to defend the welterweight title for the first time this weekend against Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, his place in the collection of the sport’s all-time greats has come up for discussion.

The 11th individual to win UFC gold in two weight classes, it has seemed like fans and media have always ranked Makhachev a step behind the familiar names in the conversation, but what does the Dagestani standout’s candidacy in the greatest of all time discussion actually look like?

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THE CANDIDATES

Everyone’s mileage on who deserves to be included in the “Greatest of All Time” (G.O.A.T.) discussions is going to vary, but the following competitors feel like the rightful names that need to be mentioned when completing an exercise like this:

Anderson Silva: The former middleweight champion was the hands-down leader in this category for quite some time after setting the UFC record for most consecutive wins and most consecutive successful title defenses. Late-career struggles didn’t diminish his standing as much as others matching or exceeding his impressive accomplishments shifted the conversation.

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Georges St-Pierre: The longtime ruler of the welterweight division returned after a five-year layoff to claim the middleweight title with a dramatic submission win over Michael Bisping and then retired again, exiting on a 13-fight winning streak and having avenged each of his two career losses. A pristine track record helps his case too.

Jon Jones: “Bones” has the most title fight victories in UFC history (16), is one of 11 two-division champions, and his lone career loss was a disputed disqualification in his fourth UFC appearance. He wrapped his career on a 20-fight unbeaten streak and is the most gifted and naturally talented fighter to ever grace the Octagon, but his challenges outside the Octagon and the awkward pacing of the final five years inside the Octagon factor into the assessment for some.

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Demetrious Johnson: Arguably the most complete fighter in MMA history, “Mighty Mouse” broke Silva’ record for the most consecutive successful title defenses, has the third most title fight wins (12), fourth most title fight finishes (7) and absolutely dominated his division like few others. The knock on Johnson is more of a knock on the division as the flyweight ranks weren’t as robust and competitive during his reign as they are now.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov: The case begins with the fact that unlike everyone else on this list, Nurmagomedov never lost. His 13 straight wins inside the Octagon is tied with St-Pierre, Jones, Johnson, and Max Holloway for the fifth-longest streak in history. If there are demerits against “The Eagle,” it’s that he won a vacant title in a bout against Al Iaquinta and only defended the belt three times although he beat Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, earning finishes in all three contests.

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Amanda Nunes: Hands-down the greatest female fighter of all time, “The Lioness” claimed UFC gold in two weight classes and is the only person to ever simultaneously defend both titles. From a pure “what they accomplished” standpoint, Nunes’ achievements actually eclipse most of her male contemporaries, with depth and skill level on the women’s side of the sport standing as the lone minor demerit against her.

ISLAM MAKHACHEV’S CREDENTIALS

17-1 in the UFC with 11 finishes
28-1 overall with 18 finishes
Current UFC welterweight champion
Former UFC lightweight champion
16-fight UFC winning streak (active)
Most UFC lightweight title wins (5)
Most consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses (4)
Longest winning streak in UFC lightweight division history (14)
Five wins over former UFC champions: Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier (interim champ), Jack Della Maddalena

Islam Makhachev of Russia rides on the shoulders of Khabib Nurmagomedov and reacts to his win over Jack Della Maddalena of Australia in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 322 event at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2025 in New Y

WHAT IF HE WINS?

Everything that follows begins with the understanding that beating Ian Machado Garry is no easy feat and it’s entirely possible that “The Future” renders this entire hypothetical moot on Saturday. That being said…

A win over Machado Garry this weekend adds a couple important points to Makhachev’s already impressive resume.

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First, he’d have the longest winning streak in UFC history all to himself, moving one win ahead of Silva by collecting his seventh straight title fight victory across two divisions.

Only 19 people in UFC history have won 10 or more bouts in a row, and Makhachev would sit atop that list. Since his lone loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192, there have been no banana peels, no off-nights resulting in a surprise setback, no freak injuries that saddled him with a second defeat — only victories. For all the talk of the level of competition he faced in the first half of that run, it’s actually better than some want to admit.

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The first eight wins in his run include victories over skilled veterans like Nik Lentz and Gleison Tibau, a promising newcomer named Arman Tsarukyan who has turned out to be pretty good, and stoppages of Drew Dober and Thiago Moises. The next eight feature his final two non-title bouts at lightweight against Dan Hooker and King Green, and then six consecutive championship fight wins.

Secondly, beating Machado Garry and defending the welterweight title would make Makhachev just the fifth two-division champion to register title defenses in multiple weight classes, joining Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, and Jon Jones. That is truly rarified air. Another thing to consider in determining his candidacy, and I say this with all due respect to everyone else that has earned titles in two weight classes: doing it at lightweight and welterweight in this era, with the depth of talent that exists in each division, is ultra-impressive. Lightweight is perpetually one of the deepest divisions in the sport, and welterweight is currently the best it has ever been.

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What seems to hinder Makhachev’s case for many people is his connection with Khabib Nurmagomedov, his longtime training partner and current coach who relinquished the lightweight strap and retired unexpectedly following the passing of his father, Abdulmanap, after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Not only does Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record loom, but his larger overall impact is often pointed to as a reason why he still stands ahead of Makhachev in these discussions.

There is no denying that Nurmagomedov was the bigger star and the one who truly launched us into this era of dominant talents from the Abdulmanap School, but if we’re talking straight-up skills and achievements inside the Octagon, I don’t think many would disagree with the claim that Makhachev is the more well-rounded fighter of the two and achieved more in the UFC than his predecessor.

Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Ian Machado Garry of Ireland face off during the UFC 330 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

The 34-year-old is one of the most complete fighters to ever grace the Octagon, brandishing elite wrestling and grappling with striking that has grown from serviceable to a legitimate secondary weapon. Although he still leans heavily on his grappling and finishes more frequently with submissions, some of his biggest stoppage victories were set up by his hands, including his lightweight title win over Charles Oliveira.

We’ve seen him pushed in ultra-competitive fights against champions and perennial contenders and still come out ahead, and blow through opponents many would deem overmatched, which is what you want to see from truly elite talents, and save for one night in Houston more than a decade ago, he’s walked out of the Octagon victorious every time.

CONCLUSION

Makhachev feels underrated when it comes to this discussion perhaps because he is still in the thick of his career and also due to factors outside of his control. He didn’t have a “Will They or Won’t They” story with anyone the way Nurmagomedov did with Tony Ferguson or a high-profile rivalry like the one Nurmagomedov had with Conor McGregor. That has meant he hasn’t become as big a star as his coach and friend, but those things don’t factor into the calculus for me

What I will say is with a win on Saturday, his cumulative accolades would be unparalleled. If we’re trying to determine the greatest fighter of all time, that’s a pretty strong opening argument for Makhachev.