Daniel Cormier does not believe a demanding title defense should erase what Islam Makhachev accomplished at UFC 330.
Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 scorecards moved the welterweight champion to 29-1 and gave him a UFC-record 17th consecutive victory. The complete five-round sequence is available in MiddleEasy’s Makhachev vs. Machado Garry result coverage.
Cormier recorded his reaction from the arena after seeing Garry force Makhachev to solve problems that most of the champion’s recent opponents could not create.
“We saw the great Islam Makhachev pushed in a way that we have not seen him pushed. Granted, he still won four of the five rounds, but we saw him bloodied, beat up. Ian Garry said time and time again that he was about to make this harder than anyone could have asked for.”
Cormier Credits Garry’s Preparation
Cormier focused first on the challenger. Makhachev took Garry down early and rode from the back, but Cormier saw the energy cost and the absence of the flat, dominant control Makhachev often establishes.
“The fight starts and Islam gets a takedown early, controls Ian for the rest of the round. But there was a difference. He was never able to flatten Ian out. He was never able to truly gain control. What he was able to do was take the back and ride him almost like a collegiate wrestler for the entirety of the first round. But he wasn’t able to get him to go to his back. He wasn’t able to secure dominant position. You could tell it was going to take a lot of energy for Islam to keep Ian Garry down.”
“I have to start by telling you guys that Ian Garry was so well prepared that he fought about as good a fight as you can against Islam Makhachev.”
Added to his legacy 💪@MAKHACHEVMMA leaves #UFC330 firmly in the G.O.A.T. conversation. pic.twitter.com/c3ahkxDKM8
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2026
Stop Moving The Standard For Makhachev
The close rounds did not change Cormier’s larger evaluation. He argued that a four-round win on two judges’ cards, a defense in a second weight class and the pressure attached to the record would be celebrated without hesitation for almost any other champion.
“But I try to not judge Islam differently than I do everyone else. Most people would be over the moon to now have defended a championship in a second weight class. He’s only the fifth person to do that in UFC history. Most people would be over the moon to win four of five rounds on two cards in a fight like this. But I know Islam and I know that he’s going to judge himself differently. But the reality is there was a lot on this kid tonight. There was a lot of pressure on him to go out there and win this fight. To think about Islam Makhachev winning 17 fights in a row. It’s absolutely insane.”
“When Anderson Silva won all those fights and defended the belt those times and then won 16 fights in a row, no one ever thought that that record would be broken. Tonight, Islam did that. You put this in historical terms and you put this with some of the greatest sports feats we have ever seen in any sport across the board. It is about paying homage to a guy that continues to become and prove he’s one of the all-time greats, if not the best fighter the UFC has ever had.”
Makhachev hurt Garry with a head kick in the second round. Garry answered by defending a takedown, reaching top position and winning the third on every scorecard. Judge Eric Colon also gave Garry the fourth, leaving Cormier interested in the urgency Makhachev’s corner created before the fifth.
“Islam’s corner even told him going into round five, ‘We don’t know what’s going on. We need you to win the fifth round.’ And I truly believe that’s what champions are made of. In those moments, those dark times where you’re unsure and you have to go and get something done. Islam showed and proved once again that he’s able to get something done.”
Makhachev Closed Like A Champion
Makhachev took Garry’s back in the final round, locked a body triangle and controlled the position to the horn. That response became Cormier’s clearest answer to anyone treating a difficult defense as a failure.
“He won the fifth round. He won the fifth round in dominant fashion. It was the first time that he was able to secure Ian Garry and control him with back control. He got a body triangle and he rode him the entire time. It was a tremendous performance by Islam and he remains the champion.”
“You know, he did look a little bit more tired. He’s pushing around more weight than he normally pushes around. But he said he is intent on staying at 170 lb. He said he’s taking everybody down and his style of fighting is working at welterweight. It’s difficult to ask someone when they’re the champion of a weight class above where they don’t have to cut the weight that they normally do to go back down to the weight that he was killing himself to make. So, I think we need to judge Islam as we judge everyone else and stop moving the line because he’s so great. We can’t judge him based on his greatness.”
Rizvan Magomedov Describes A Hard-Earned Win
The video later moved backstage, where Cormier asked Makhachev’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, about the record and the corner’s message before round five. Magomedov said the resistance made the result more satisfying.
“My brother feel amazing. Feel amazing. The fight was not easy. It was a very tough opponent, you know, it wasn’t like a easy victory. So, this is what gives you like additional emotions, right? This is what it give you additional pleasure. And that’s what excites you.”
“No, no. I knew for sure like at least three rounds, minimum three rounds he was winning on that one. I mean, that’s from my standpoint. But sometimes you have to tell that to fighter just to ignite them, you know, just to give them the light so they don’t like—so they don’t sit and thinks, ‘Oh, I won like a three round and four round,’ and doing nothing.”
“I’m so proud, man. Listen, especially when I know this—when I know this kid for like so many years. And now he’s like best, best fighter in the world, right? He’s a pound-for-pound number one guy.”
Makhachev has already said he intends to remain at welterweight and wants a return before Ramadan. Garry fell to 17-2 in his first UFC title challenge, but his third-round rally and takedown defense also support his own view that he pushed an all-time great to the wire.
