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By Ishaan Kapoor — 15 August 2026 — 4 min read

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 UFC event in the city in over 15 years, and the first UFC event since March 2019. The previous event at the same venue featured consecutive first-round finishes, while UFC 133 concluded with five stoppages in the final six fights, suggesting a potential for multiple stoppages at this weekend’s event.

The fight card features several pairings, with the main event showcasing Islam Makhachev defending his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry. The co-main event will see Mackenzie Dern face Gillian Robertson for the women’s strawweight title.

Welterweight Championship Main Event

Islam Makhachev will defend his welterweight 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. In 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 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 winning streak in UFC history. Makhachev’s career began professionally in 2010, and he joined the UFC in 2015. He became the UFC Lightweight Champion in 2022 after defeating Charles Oliveira, defending that title three times, including two wins against Alexander Volkanovski and one against Dustin Poirier, before moving to the welterweight division.

Machado Garry earned his title shot with two wins in 2025, defeating Carlos Prates over five rounds in April and then Belal Muhammad over three rounds in November. Despite winning his last five fights by decision, his schedule and the marketability of this matchup contributed to his opportunity. A notable aspect of this fight is the size difference, with Makhachev giving up four inches in height and reach to Machado Garry, who has demonstrated strong takedown defense, footwork, and an effective use of his reach.

Makhachev’s estimated net worth is around $6 million as of 2026, primarily from UFC fight purses, bonuses, pay-per-view earnings, and commercial partnerships. His reported earnings include approximately $1.5 million from his first fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, an estimated $2.5 million from their rematch at UFC 294, and about $1.8 million for his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. His brand associations include Monster Energy, Gorilla Energy, Wahed Invest, Milaf, YoungLA, and Al Hadaya. Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991, in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, and began martial arts training as a child, later becoming a World Combat Sambo Champion in 2016. He married in 2021 and has three children.

Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event and Other Bouts

The co-main event features Mackenzie Dern defending her strawweight title for the first time 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, Dern has focused on improving her striking throughout her UFC career. Robertson enters the fight with five consecutive wins and six victories in seven fights since returning to the strawweight division, most recently defeating Amanda Lemos in March. Robertson holds the record for the most submission wins among female fighters in UFC history and is tied with Amanda Nunes for the most overall finishes on the women’s side of the sport with 10.

Other main card matches include Charles Johnson vs Jose Ochoa, Mansur Abdul-Malik vs Dustin Stoltzfus, and Edson Barboza vs Esteban Ribovics. Charles 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. Jose Ochoa, a 25-year-old fighter from Peru, has a professional record of 9-2, including a stoppage win over Cody Durden and a unanimous decision victory over Clayton Carpenter at UFC 328 in May. Mansur Abdul-Malik and Dustin Stoltzfus, both graduates of Dana White’s Contender Series with roots in Pennsylvania, will also compete.

The preliminary matches include Chidi Njokuani vs Joel Alvarez, Jalin Turner vs Kaue Fernandes, Donte Johnson vs Eric McConico, Vicente Luque vs Tresean Gore, Rafael Tobias vs Lucas Fernando, Neil Magny vs Ramiz Brahimaj, and Jeremiah Wells vs Myktybek Orolbai. UFC 330 is scheduled for Saturday, August 15.

Source: ufc.com