Makhachev Enters GOAT Debate After 17th Straight UFC Win, Coach Says

Q: How did a brutally honest corner intervention from Khabib Nurmagomedov save Islam Makhachev from losing his title at UFC 330?

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s blunt message likely saved Islam Makhachev’s title because it prevented the champion from going into the fifth round believing he was safely ahead. By the time the fight reached the final round at UFC 330, Makhachev had built up control time and scored a second-round head-kick knockdown, but Ian Machado Garry had rallied. Makhachev’s corner, including Khabib and coach Javier Mendez, believed Garry probably took the third round and that the fourth was too close to count on. Instead of reassuring Makhachev, they told him the fight was essentially even and that he needed Round 5 to keep the belt. That intervention changed Makhachev’s urgency. Rather than coasting, he came out pressing for takedowns, landed two in the final round, took Garry’s back, and added nearly three more minutes of control time. That stretch was the clearest round of the late fight and created the separation reflected on the scorecards of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Mendez later explained that the corner deliberately chose honesty over comfort because giving Makhachev false confidence could have cost him the championship. In a fight where Garry’s striking, size and defensive grappling made him far more competitive than expected, that direct warning forced Makhachev to treat the fifth as a must-win round. In practical terms, Khabib’s intervention kept Makhachev from easing off in a fight that was much tighter than it looked on paper, and that urgency is what secured the decision.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 19

17 straight UFC wins have put Islam Makhachev in the "GOAT picture," coach Javier Mendez said after UFC 330, though he argued the champion still needs another one or two victories to stand alone.
A unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry was far tighter than the final result suggested: Mendez said his corner treated it as 2-2 entering Round 5 after conceding the third and doubting the fourth.
That message changed Makhachev's approach. He opened the final round aggressively, added two takedowns and about three more minutes of control time, and sealed his first welterweight title defense.
Dana White faulted Garry for lacking "killer instinct" in the fifth, saying the Irish contender could have stolen the fight, while Mendez said Garry's calm, respectful demeanor may simply reflect how he competes best.
The win also moved Makhachev past Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history, strengthening a legacy case Mendez says could be settled within his next two to four fights.