Control wins the day in Philadelphia

Islam Makhachev beat Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in a welterweight main card bout at UFC 330, held at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The fight went the full five rounds, with all 1,500 seconds used, and the numbers show why the judges leaned toward Makhachev. He shaped the scorecards with steady wrestling, reliable top control and busy work from dominant positions.

According to Sofascore’s event stats, Makhachev’s ground game set the tone. He landed six takedowns from 14 attempts at a 42.86% success rate and produced 72 ground strikes to Garry’s 14. More telling, he logged 413 seconds of ground clinch control compared to Garry’s 120, an advantage that carried real weight in a close, high-level contest. You can dive into the full breakdown on the Sofascore event page.

Striking split: distance for Garry, ground for Makhachev

On the feet, Ian Machado Garry had the cleaner volume. He out-landed Makhachev in total strikes 161 to 144 and also led in significant strikes 53 to 41. Most of Garry’s significant work came at range, where he posted 44 distance significant strikes to Makhachev’s 21. At distance overall, Garry landed 147 strikes to Makhachev’s 72, a clear edge in the kickboxing phases.

Makhachev answered where it mattered most for him: on the mat and inside tight exchanges. He produced 72 ground strikes to Garry’s 14 and outdid him in overall clinch strikes 84 to 52. In the significant-strike locations, Makhachev led on the ground (20 to 9) while Garry edged the clinch significant numbers (31 to 26). Target-wise, Garry found more success to head and body (23 head, 22 body), while Makhachev did more damage to the legs (17 leg significant strikes). There were no knockdowns, which kept control and positional dominance firmly in the spotlight.

Wrestling numbers tell the story

Makhachev’s grappling rhythm carried across the 25 minutes. He shot 14 takedowns and landed six, while Garry did not register a takedown attempt. Credit to Garry’s defense for stuffing eight attempts for a 57.14% defense rate, but the entries that did land allowed Makhachev to build extended control. He also completed two transitions to Garry’s none, adding to the top-time picture.

The positional metrics underline why the decision leaned Makhachev. Of the fight’s 549 seconds spent on the ground (36.60% of total time), Makhachev owned the bulk of ground clinch control at 413 seconds (75.23%). Submissions never came into play, with both fighters attempting zero. Instead, steady rides, mat returns, and consistent ground strikes built the kind of effective grappling that judges reward at elite UFC level.

Round-by-round: how momentum shifted

Round 1 opened with Makhachev setting terms. He led 26–14 in total strikes and 9–4 in significant strikes, added one takedown from five tries, and banked 85 seconds of ground clinch control to 28. The early wrestling reads were clear: Garry could defend at a decent clip, but Makhachev still found enough entries to score and settle on top.

Round 2 was even more decisive for Makhachev. He doubled Garry’s totals at 42–21 strikes and led 16–7 in significant strikes, all while going a perfect 1/1 on takedowns. The control swing was stark: 116 ground clinch control seconds for Makhachev to just 4 for Garry. After 10 minutes, the scoreboard leaned heavily in Makhachev’s favor.

Round 3 flipped. With 277 seconds at distance, Garry turned up the pace and out-landed Makhachev 53–15 in total strikes and 9–3 in significant strikes. Makhachev hit one of two takedowns but could not hold extended control, and Garry’s long-range jab and kicks cashed in on the space.

Round 4 stayed in Garry’s wheelhouse. He won the standing exchanges 42–18 in total strikes and 26–7 in significant strikes, including a 20–2 edge in distance significant strikes. Makhachev did grab a takedown (1/4), and the ground clinch control was close (Makhachev 69 seconds to Garry’s 58), but Garry owned the standing clinch control 66–4 seconds and kept the volume clearly on his side.

Round 5 returned to type for Makhachev. He went 2/2 on takedowns, racked up 132 seconds of ground clinch control, and landed 31 ground strikes. While Garry narrowly led the round in significant strikes 7–6, Makhachev’s output at close quarters and on top drove the final frame’s optics, and he also led in total strikes 43–31. The closing round reinforced the control-first case that delivered a unanimous nod on the cards.

Clinch battles: standing vs on the mat

The clinch battle had two very different stories depending on the location. In the standing clinch, Garry posted more control time overall, leading 152–77 seconds. His best stretch came in the fourth round, where he stacked up 66 seconds of clinch control and banked significant shots inside.

Once the fight hit the floor, though, Makhachev took over. He compiled 413 seconds of ground clinch control to Garry’s 120 across the fight and out-landed him heavily in those sequences. Even in the fifth, where Makhachev had 132 ground clinch control seconds to 30, the pattern held. Add in his advantage in overall clinch strikes 84–52 and ground significant strikes 20–9, and the judging math starts to look straightforward, even with Garry’s distance brilliance across rounds three and four.

What the numbers say about the decision

Garry’s case was built on efficient striking at range and cleaner head and body work. He led the fight in total strikes, significant strikes, and distance damage. In many matchups, that wins the day. Here, it was not enough to cancel out the control, mat returns, and relentless ground volume Makhachev produced in key minutes.

Makhachev’s six takedowns, massive ground clinch control share, and 72–14 edge in ground strikes made the difference in Philadelphia. With five tactical rounds and no knockdowns, the judges favored effective grappling and sustained top pressure. For fans who enjoy the data as much as the action, all round-by-round splits are available on Sofascore, where you can revisit every momentum swing from UFC 330.