Islam Makhachev Broke the UFC's Biggest Record: Is He the Goat?

Islam Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on Saturday, successfully defending his welterweight championship and extending his UFC winning streak to 17 fights. Makhachev has now officially passed Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history, breaking a record that had stood for more than a decade.

But does that make him the greatest fighter in MMA history?

The case for Islam Makhachev

Makhachev's resume is becoming nearly impossible to ignore.

He has gone undefeated in the UFC since 2016, captured the lightweight championship, defended it four times and then moved up to welterweight to defeat Jack Della Maddalena for a second UFC title.

At UFC 330, he successfully defended that championship against Garry. Now he owns the longest winning streak in UFC history. Makhachev has also done something very few fighters in UFC history have accomplished: he has managed to remain dominant while moving between weight classes.

His reign at lightweight was built around his elite wrestling and submission game, but the move to 170 pounds has forced him to deal with bigger opponents and different physical challenges. And so far, he has passed every test.

His latest win wasn't spectacular, but it was effective. Makhachev controlled the fight, survived Garry's best moments and walked out of Philadelphia with another championship defense. That's what makes him so difficult to argue against. He keeps winning.

What about Khabib?

Then there is the most obvious comparison.

Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated at 29-0 and spent his entire UFC career without losing a fight. He dominated Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before walking away as lightweight champion.

Makhachev has already surpassed Khabib's UFC winning streak, but he doesn't have the undefeated record.

That distinction will matter forever. Khabib's supporters can argue that nobody ever solved him. Makhachev's supporters can point out that Islam has taken on a longer UFC journey and has now conquered two divisions.

The two fighters are connected forever, but their GOAT cases are becoming increasingly different.

But what about Jon Jones?

This is where the GOAT debate gets difficult. Jon Jones still has perhaps the strongest argument of anyone.

Jones won UFC championships at light heavyweight and heavyweight, defeated an enormous list of elite opponents and spent years sitting at the top of the sport. His resume includes wins over Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida and many more.

Makhachev has now surpassed Jones in one important category: consecutive UFC victories. But, Jones still has the advantage in championship longevity and the sheer number of elite names on his resume.

Then there is the controversy surrounding Jones' career.

His lone professional loss came by disqualification against Matt Hamill, meaning he has never actually been defeated by an opponent inside the Octagon. For some fans, that alone keeps him at No. 1. For others, the controversies surrounding Jones' career make the GOAT argument more complicated. Makhachev has an opportunity Jones never had. He can build his case without the same cloud hanging over his career.

And then there's Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre's argument is different.

GSP wasn't simply dominant. He repeatedly avenged losses, defeated elite fighters across multiple generations and became a two-division UFC champion. His 26-2 professional record and championship résumé remain among the best MMA has ever seen.

He also walked away from the sport on his own terms and returned years later to win a second UFC championship at middleweight. Makhachev has not reached that level of longevity yet.

That's the key word: Yet.

At 34 years old, Makhachev still has time to add more championship defenses and elite wins to his resume.

Anderson Silva's record was supposed to stand

Perhaps the most impressive part of Makhachev's accomplishment is the name he passed.

Anderson Silva's 16-fight winning streak became one of the sport's most untouchable records. Silva held the middleweight championship for years and produced some of the most memorable performances in UFC history.

Front kicks, spinning attacks, submissions, knockouts — Silva wasn't simply winning fights. He was creating moments that helped define an era.

Makhachev's style couldn't be more different. That's part of what makes the record so impressive. Silva's streak survived the rise and fall of multiple generations of fighters.

Makhachev has now surpassed it.

So, is Islam Makhachev the GOAT?

Yes.

The record is already his. The two-division championship is already his. The victories over elite competition are already there. And his career isn't finished.

That's the scary part for everyone else in the conversation.

Makhachev doesn't need to beat every record holder to become the GOAT. He needs to continue doing what he has done better than almost anyone else in UFC history: winning.

If he adds several more welterweight title defenses, beats the division's next generation of contenders and potentially captures another major victory at 170 pounds, the argument becomes much harder to dismiss.

Maybe one day the debate won't be Jon Jones vs. Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva. Maybe it will be:

Who was greater — Islam Makhachev or everyone who came before him?

After UFC 330, that question doesn't sound nearly as ridiculous as it did a year ago.