UFC 330 returns to Philadelphia
The UFC is set to return to Philadelphia for UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. This marks the first numbered event in the city in over 15 years and the first UFC event there since March 2019. Historically, UFC events in Philadelphia have featured significant finishes, with the March 2019 event concluding with back-to-back first-round stoppages and UFC 133 seeing five stoppages in its final six fights.
The upcoming fight card promises a series of compelling matchups, with the main event featuring Islam Makhachev defending his welterweight title. The event will be available for viewing on Paramount+.
Main Event: Islam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry
In the main event, welterweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend his title for the first time against Irish contender Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev secured the welterweight belt last November by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden. During that fight, he utilized his grappling skills to control Della Maddalena for five rounds, accumulating 19 minutes of control time and limiting his opponent to just 18 significant strikes. This victory made Makhachev a two-weight world champion and extended his winning streak to 16, matching Anderson Silva‘s record for the longest win streak in UFC history.
Makhachev‘s career has seen him become one of the most prominent figures in MMA. He became the UFC Lightweight Champion in 2022 after defeating Charles Oliveira, defending that title three times, including two victories over Alexander Volkanovski and one against Dustin Poirier, before moving up to the welterweight division. His estimated net worth is around $6 million, primarily from fight purses, bonuses, and pay-per-view earnings. He also has commercial partnerships with brands such as Monster Energy, Gorilla Energy, Wahed Invest, Milaf, YoungLA, and Al Hadaya.
Born on October 27, 1991, in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, Makhachev began martial arts training as a child and became an accomplished combat sambo competitor, winning the World Combat Sambo Championship in 2016. He started his professional MMA career in 2010 and joined the UFC in 2015. Away from the Octagon, Makhachev maintains a private family life, having married in 2021 and reportedly having three children.
Challenger Ian Machado Garry earned his title shot with two victories in 2025, defeating Carlos Prates over five rounds in April and then former champion Belal Muhammad over three rounds in November. Despite winning his last five fights by decision, Machado Garry‘s strong schedule and marketability have positioned him for this opportunity. A notable aspect of this matchup is the size difference, with Makhachev giving up four inches in height and reach to Machado Garry, who is known for his takedown defense, footwork, and effective use of his length.
Co-Main Event and Undercard Highlights
The co-main event features Mackenzie Dern defending her strawweight title against Gillian Robertson. Dern claimed the vacant title last October in Abu Dhabi, coming from behind to defeat Virna Jandiroba. A multiple-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a skilled submission grappler, the 33-year-old champion has also shown significant improvement in her striking throughout her UFC career.
Robertson enters the fight on a strong run, having won five consecutive fights and six of her last seven since returning to the strawweight division. Her most recent victory was against Amanda Lemos in March. Robertson is also primarily a grappler, holding the record for the most submission wins among female fighters in UFC history and sharing the record with Amanda Nunes for the most overall finishes on the women’s side of the sport, with 10. The outcome of this fight may depend on Robertson‘s ability to control the fight’s location and progression, particularly in the clinch or from top position, to counter Dern‘s attempts to create space or seek submissions.
Other main card matchups include Charles Johnson vs. Jose Ochoa in the flyweight division. Johnson will be making his fourth start of the year and fifth appearance in the last calendar year, dating back to his knockout win over Lone’er Kavanagh last August. He has alternated results in his last six fights, coming off a submission loss to Asu Almabayev in June, but brings significant experience to this bout. Ochoa, a 25-year-old from Peru, has a professional record of 9-2, with a stoppage win over Cody Durden and a unanimous decision victory over Clayton Carpenter at UFC 328 in May. This fight is seen as an opportunity to assess Ochoa‘s development and for Johnson to return to the win column.
Also on the main card, Mansur Abdul-Malik will face Dustin Stoltzfus in a battle between Dana White’s Contender Series graduates with roots in Pennsylvania. Abdul-Malik is returning after suffering the first loss of his professional career. The preliminary card features several other matchups, including Chidi Njokuani vs. Joel Alvarez, Jalin Turner vs. Kaue Fernandes, and Vicente Luque vs. Tresean Gore.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 15.
Source: ufc.com
