"Makhachev is not the greatest fighter of all time" - UFC president

2 hours ago

**UFC President: "Makhachev is not yet the greatest fighter of all time"**

UFC President Dana White said that welterweight champion Islam Makhachev is not among the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. He believes that if the Russian fighter wins another fight, he can be recognized as one of the best. This was reported by MMA Fighting.

Islam Makhachev has the opportunity to break the record of former UFC champion Anderson Silva for the number of consecutive victories in the history of the organization. Both fighters have won 16 fights in a row. The athlete from Dagestan has the opportunity to set an absolute record.

Dana White said that Makhachev's achievements in his career have already made him one of the main contenders for the status of the greatest athlete of all time (GOAT). However, the UFC leader prefers to draw a final conclusion on this issue after the next fight.

"I don't think about that until the fight is over. We'll see how he fights on August 16. If Islam breaks the record, continues his career and defeats opponents, then when he retires, his place in history can be assessed," said White.

Makhachev is currently ranked first in the UFC's P4P ranking of the strongest fighters in the world, regardless of weight category. If he successfully defends the welterweight title, he will become the record holder for consecutive victories (17 winning streaks).

Nevertheless, White believes that it is too early to include Makhachev in the ranks of the greatest fighters in MMA history, such as Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre:

"He has all the potential to be a great fighter. We'll have to talk about that after Saturday's fight, based on his results and record-breaking performance."

For your information, the title fight between Makhachev and Garry will be the main event of the UFC 330 tournament, which will be held on August 16 in Philadelphia, USA.

Islam Makhachev is currently on a 16-fight winning streak in the UFC. His professional record is 28 wins and 1 loss. The Russian fighter last won the welterweight title at UFC 322 in New York by unanimous decision over former champion Australian Jack Della Maddalena, becoming one of the only fighters in UFC history to win the title in two weight classes.

Ian Machado Harry fought his last fight on November 22, 2025, against Palestinian Bilal Muhammad at the UFC Fight Night tournament in Qatar, where he won by unanimous decision. The 28-year-old Irishman has a professional record of 17 wins (8 of which were by knockout) and 1 loss.