Islam Makhachev reveals where Ian Machado Garry fight ranks among his toughest UFC bouts

At UFC 330, Islam Makhachev made history by defending his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry. He etched his name in the promotion's history books by setting the longest UFC winning streak. He broke Anderson Silva's record of 16 consecutive victories.

However, the final step toward breaking the record was not as easy as the judges' scorecards might suggest. Makhachev secured a unanimous decision victory, with two judges scoring the fight 49-46 and the third scoring it 48-47. However, the bruises on the champion's face and body told a different story.

Many believed the fight against Garry was Makhachev's toughest test to date. Although the pound-for-pound king believes otherwise, he still ranks his fight with Garry among the toughest battles of his career.

Islam Makhachev reveals where Ian Machado Garry ranks among his toughest opponents

Makhachev started strong and dominated the challenger. A significant moment came in the second round when he landed a head kick that dropped the Irishman. He then secured an impressive takedown but was unable to finish him.

Garry bounced back in the third round and found some success in the striking exchanges. He landed a head kick that caught the champion's attention. In the fourth round, 

Makhachev pressed Garry against the fence while looking to secure a takedown, but the challenger continued landing short strikes to the champion's face and body.

The Dagestani star finished the fight on Garry's back, controlling him on the ground and constantly looking for opportunities to set up a submission. Makhachev ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory to retain his welterweight title.

However, before the fight, Makhachev had claimed that he would finish Garry inside three rounds. Instead, the fight turned into a battle, as Garry proved difficult to keep on the ground and refused to accept the champion's positions. His impressive takedown defense earned him praise from UFC CEO Dana White after the fight.

In the post-fight presser, when asked whether Garry was the toughest opponent he had faced inside the octagon, Makhachev placed the Irishman among his top three and immediately pointed to his first fight with Volkanovski as the most difficult.

“Maybe top three, bro, but the Australian fight it's crazy. With Volkanovski's first fight, he gave me a hard fight, bro. This guy is dog," Makhachev said. 

Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below:

Makhachev faced Volkanovski for the first time at UFC 284 in Australia. In a back-and-forth battle, the Dagestani star secured a unanimous decision victory to successfully defend his lightweight title.

Islam Makhachev explains why he ranks Alexander Volkanovski fight above Ian Machado Garry

In the aforementioned press conference, Makhachev explained that Volkanovski constantly pressed forward throughout their fight, while the support from the Australian crowd made the challenge even more difficult. That said, the Dagestani star also acknowledged that his fight against Garry was another tough test.

“He go forward every second, he don't stop. And that time I remember we have very hard time,” Makhachev said. “All arena support him and like even if he miss punch, they all arena go like crazy, but this one also it's hard.”

The Dagestani star also stated that he wants to make a quick turnaround and defend his title before Ramadan.