Islam Makhachev Reveals He Feared Broken Nose After ‘Crazy Headbutt’

Islam Makhachev extended his remarkable UFC winning streak at UFC 330, but his victory over Ian Machado Garry came at a physical cost. The Russian champion revealed that he feared he had suffered a broken nose after taking a heavy headbutt during the fourth round.

Makhachev spoke about the demanding contest after the fight, pointing to his battered face while describing the bout as a very difficult challenge.

“It’s very hard fight. Look my face, my nose,” Makhachev said while speaking to the Paramount+ desk.

Makhachev Thought His Nose Was Broken

The biggest scare came toward the end of the fourth round. After Makhachev executed a slam, Garry landed what the champion described as a “crazy headbutt” directly to his nose.

“End of the fourth round, when I make him slam, he gave me crazy headbutt to my nose and I feel my nose broke or something, but doctor check says good, nothing problem,” Makhachev explained.

Despite initially fearing a serious injury, medical checks confirmed that there was no major problem with his nose, allowing Makhachev to continue and eventually secure the victory.

Islam Makhachev Praises Tough Fight Against Ian Machado Garry

Although Makhachev entered the fight as the champion and one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history, Garry made the contest considerably tougher than expected. The Irishman showed resilience and landed several significant strikes as the fight progressed.

Makhachev nevertheless believes the difficult experience will help him improve as a fighter. Rather than viewing the physical battle negatively, the Russian said the challenge gave him an opportunity to develop further.

“A very hard fight, but the hard fight gave me good improve. I improve a lot from this fight also,” Makhachev said.

The champion also stressed that his mindset remains unchanged regardless of how difficult a fight becomes.

“From the first second to the last second, I will fight. No matter how it’s gonna go but I will fight,” he added.

Makhachev Continues Historic UFC Winning Streak

The victory over Garry further strengthened Makhachev’s status among the sport’s all-time greats. The Russian has now recorded 29 wins against one defeat in his professional MMA career and extended his UFC winning streak to 17 fights.

The UFC 330 victory was also significant because it marked Makhachev’s first successful defense of his welterweight championship after moving up from lightweight.

Makhachev previously ruled the UFC lightweight division and never lost the championship before making the move to welterweight. His only professional defeat came against Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in 2015.

Since that setback, Makhachev has remained unbeaten and defeated a long list of elite opponents, strengthening his case in discussions about the greatest fighters in MMA history.

What’s Next for Islam Makhachev?

After surviving a difficult title fight against Garry, attention will now turn toward Makhachev’s next challenge at welterweight. His ability to remain unbeaten for so long and successfully compete across divisions has made him one of the UFC’s biggest stars.

More importantly, his comments after UFC 330 showed that even after another major victory, Makhachev continues to identify areas where he can improve. The champion’s willingness to learn from a difficult fight could make his next title defense even more intriguing.