UFC 330 roundtable: Is Islam Makhachev the next pound-for-pound great to fall?

Islam Makhachev is no stranger to impressive title defenses, but for the first time, he enters the octagon as welterweight champion and against a challenger with no shortage of confidence.

What does Ian Machado Garry have to lose? Everyone expects Makhachev to run through him, but if Garry authors an upset, he could join Justin Gaethje, Ciryl Gane, and Sean Strickland on the list of underdogs that have turned the pound-for-pound rankings upside down. Let’s see just how wacky 2026 can get.

Ahead of UFC 330 on Saturday, MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee, Mike Heck, and Damon Martin discuss what these defenses mean for champions Islam Makhachev and