Islam Makhachev was forced to show his championship experience after edging Ian Machado Garry in a thriller to retain his welterweight title at UFC 330.
There was much more on the line for the champion than just a shiny belt. While Makhachev will undeniably go down as one of the best fighters on the planet, the Dagestan brawler was presented with the opportunity to break Anderson Silva's record (16) for the longest win streak in UFC history.
Fight unfolds
After a quiet opening round, the welterweight dust-up exploded into life in the second after the Russian sent Machado Garry crashing to the canvas with a head kick. The move seemed to give the energetic champion the perfect opportunity to bounce in search of a stunning victory.
After a rugged display in the second, the tide seemed to turn in the third round for Machado Garry. As the challenger rushed to the centre of the octagon, the Irish scrapper fired off several kicks to keep Makhachev guessing.
Co-main event and other results
In the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern successfully defended her strawweight title in a one-sided performance against UFC veteran Gillian Robertson. Despite a late flurry from Robertson in the championship rounds, Dern won the majority of the contest - largely due to her unique and versatile arsenal.
Elsewhere on the main card, Jalin Turner made it back-to-back wins after needing just over 30 seconds to render Kaue Fernandes unconscious. Dustin Stoltzfus ended a two-fight losing skid after choking out Mansur Abdul-Malik. In the main card opener, Esteban Ribovics brutally stopped fan-favourite Edson Barboza in the second stanza.
