Islam Makhachev has officially entered territory no UFC fighter has ever reached.

At UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision to successfully defend his UFC welterweight championship. The judges scored the five-round fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Makhachev. (Reuters)

More importantly, the victory was Makhachev’s 17th consecutive UFC win, breaking Anderson Silva’s legendary record of 16 straight victories.

No fighter in UFC history has won more consecutive fights.

And after becoming a champion in two divisions and piling up victories over some of the best fighters of his generation, there is now a legitimate question to ask:

Is Islam Makhachev the greatest MMA fighter of all time?

Islam Makhachev Breaks Anderson Silva’s UFC Record

For years, Anderson Silva’s 16-fight winning streak looked almost untouchable.

“The Spider” dominated the UFC middleweight division during one of the most iconic championship runs in MMA history. His combination of striking, creativity and finishing ability helped turn him into one of the sport’s first true global superstars.

Makhachev tied Silva’s record when he defeated Jack Della Maddalena to capture the UFC welterweight championship in November 2025.

Against Garry at UFC 330, he finally moved past him.

17 straight UFC victories.

Makhachev now stands alone with the longest winning streak in UFC history. (New York Post)

Even more remarkable is the competition he has faced along the way.

His streak includes victories over fighters such as Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, Renato Moicano and Jack Della Maddalena. He has now added Garry to that list while extending his overall professional record to 29-1. (New York Post)

Makhachev Didn’t Dominate Garry — And That Might Make the Win More Impressive

UFC 330 wasn’t another effortless Makhachev performance.

Garry presented serious problems.

The Irish challenger had significant height and reach advantages and was able to have success at different points of the fight, particularly with his kicks and takedown defense.

But Makhachev did what champions do.

He adjusted.

His wrestling and grappling ultimately allowed him to control enough of the fight to earn the decision. Despite Garry’s resistance, Makhachev continued applying pressure and remained composed through the championship rounds. (Reuters)

Sometimes greatness isn’t about destroying every opponent.

It’s about finding a way to win when an opponent forces you outside your comfort zone.

Makhachev did exactly that.

The Two-Division Champion Argument

The GOAT discussion becomes even more interesting when you consider that Makhachev’s dominance hasn’t been limited to one weight class.

He conquered lightweight before moving up to welterweight and defeating Jack Della Maddalena for the championship.

That achievement placed him in the exclusive group of UFC fighters to win championships in multiple divisions.

But unlike many fighters who move divisions near the end of their careers looking for one massive fight, Makhachev has established himself as a legitimate champion at 170 pounds.

Now he has successfully defended that belt.

Winning championships in two divisions is impressive.

Breaking the UFC’s all-time winning streak record while doing it is something else entirely.

How Does Makhachev Compare to Jon Jones?

This is where the GOAT debate becomes complicated.

For many MMA fans, Jon Jones remains the standard.

Jones became UFC light heavyweight champion at just 23 years old and spent years defeating generations of elite contenders and former champions.

His résumé includes names such as Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Jones’ longevity at the championship level remains one of the strongest arguments any fighter has for GOAT status.

Makhachev’s argument is different.

His peak dominance, consistency and historic winning streak are becoming impossible to ignore.

If Makhachev continues winning championship fights at welterweight, even Jones supporters may eventually have to acknowledge that the gap is disappearing.

What About Georges St-Pierre?

Georges St-Pierre may have the most complete traditional GOAT résumé.

GSP dominated the welterweight division, avenged both of his career losses and later returned after nearly four years away to capture the middleweight championship.

His career represented something extremely difficult to achieve in MMA: sustained excellence with very few mistakes.

Makhachev now has something GSP doesn’t, though.

A 17-fight UFC winning streak.

And at 34 years old, Makhachev still appears capable of adding considerably more to his résumé.

Has Makhachev Surpassed Khabib?

There is also the unavoidable comparison with his longtime teammate and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib retired undefeated at 29-0, becoming one of the most dominant fighters MMA has ever seen.

But Makhachev’s résumé has now moved into territory Khabib never reached.

Makhachev has won championships in two UFC weight classes and has accumulated significantly more victories at the championship level.

Khabib may have retired undefeated, but Makhachev has built the deeper UFC résumé.

The student hasn’t simply followed the path of his mentor anymore.

He has created his own.

The Case Against Calling Makhachev the GOAT — Yet

Breaking the UFC winning streak record doesn’t automatically make Makhachev the greatest fighter ever.

GOAT discussions involve more than statistics.

Longevity matters.

Championship victories matter.

Quality of opposition matters.

Dominance matters.

And the historical impact a fighter had on the sport matters.

That’s why Jones, GSP, Silva, Khabib and Demetrious Johnson remain part of the conversation.

But Makhachev has something particularly important on his side:

His career isn’t finished.

He is reportedly targeting an eventual 20-fight UFC winning streak, meaning the record he just broke could become considerably harder for anyone else to touch. (New York Post)

What Comes Next for Islam Makhachev?

Welterweight isn’t short on potential challengers.

Carlos Prates, Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov are among the names that could potentially give Makhachev another major test. (New York Post)

And that may ultimately decide the GOAT debate.

Imagine Makhachev reaching 18, 19 or even 20 consecutive UFC victories while continuing to defend the welterweight championship.

At that point, the question may change.

Instead of asking whether Makhachev belongs beside Jones, GSP and Silva, MMA fans might start asking whether anyone has a better résumé than him.

Is Islam Makhachev the Greatest Fighter Ever?

Right now, there probably isn’t a universally correct answer.

Jon Jones has an extraordinary championship résumé.

Georges St-Pierre combined dominance with longevity.

Anderson Silva produced one of the most spectacular championship runs the sport has ever seen.

Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away undefeated.

But Islam Makhachev now owns something none of them do.

Seventeen consecutive UFC victories.

He is a two-division UFC champion. He has defeated elite fighters across two weight classes. And after UFC 330, he owns the longest winning streak in the history of the organization. (Reuters)

So is Islam Makhachev already the greatest MMA fighter of all time?

Maybe.

But the scarier possibility for the rest of the GOAT contenders is this:

Makhachev might not be finished building his case.