Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev puts his belt on the line for the first time in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 against No. 2 ranked Ian Machado Garry.
Makhachev (28-1) captured the 170-pound championship by dominating former titleholder Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November. He’s ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Garry (17-1) will enter the bout riding a two-fight winning streak. He soundly defeated former champion Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision in his last outing to earn the title shot inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones recently weighed in on the matchup and heaped praise on the champion.
“”I’m going with Islam because he has a wrestling background, and it’s very hard to beat wrestlers, so Islam,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. “Islam may just be one of the greatest fighters in the world. Right now, it’s me and maybe him. So I encourage him to keep going.”
Jon Jones calls Islam Makhachev a GOAT alongside himself and backs him to beat Ian Garry 🔥🔥
"I'm going with Islam because he has a wrestling background, and it's very hard to beat wrestlers.
Islam may just be one of the greatest fighters in the world. Right now, it's me and… pic.twitter.com/HiZd4Jzns5
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 27, 2026
Jones retired from competition following his UFC 309 win over former two-time heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic. He lobbied to be part of the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House but the fight promotion opted not to include him. The 38 year-old has left the door open for a potential return.