Islam Makhachev, widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters, has indicated he "does not have much time" remaining in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The 34-year-old Russian is set to make his first defence of the welterweight title against Ireland's Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Saturday.
Makhachev, a former lightweight champion, made his UFC debut in 2015 and has since secured 17 wins from 18 fights within the promotion. Should he defeat 28-year-old Machado Garry at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, he would surpass Anderson Silva's 13-year-old record of 16 consecutive UFC victories.
Last year, Makhachev moved up in weight after a fourth lightweight title defence and expressed a desire to fight more frequently. He told UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson, "I understand I'm not 28 years old; I'm 34 right now. And I don't have much time."
UFC president Dana White recently stated that Makhachev is "on the right path" to being considered the greatest fighter in UFC history. Machado Garry, who has won 10 of his 11 UFC fights, would become the first Irish champion in the promotion since Conor McGregor if he secures a victory.