Anderson Silva held this record for more than a decade. Islam Makhachev has finally taken it from him.
Makhachev now owns the longest UFC winning streak in history with 17 consecutive victories, moving clear of Silva after beating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 in August 2026.
It is an extraordinary run when you consider where it started. Makhachev was knocked out in his second UFC appearance back in 2015. He has not lost since.
Behind him sit some of the greatest fighters the promotion has ever seen, including Silva, Kamaru Usman, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Demetrious Johnson.
For the latest markets across upcoming cards, visit BetVictor’s UFC betting and odds page.
Who Has the Longest UFC Winning Streak?
Islam Makhachev holds the record with 17 consecutive UFC victories.
The UFC’s official record book currently lists the leading winning streaks as:
- Islam Makhachev – 17
- Anderson Silva – 16
- Kamaru Usman – 15
- Merab Dvalishvili – 14
- Georges St-Pierre – 13
- Jon Jones – 13
- Demetrious Johnson – 13
- Khabib Nurmagomedov – 13
- Max Holloway – 13
- Amanda Nunes – 12
- Tony Ferguson – 12
- Alexander Volkanovski – 12
Those figures count consecutive victories inside the UFC rather than a fighter’s overall professional MMA record.
That is also why this record is different from the most UFC wins. Jim Miller leads that category through career longevity, whereas Makhachev’s 17 all arrived without a defeat in between.
1. Islam Makhachev: 17 Consecutive UFC Wins
Makhachev’s streak started in April 2016 against Chris Wade.
That came six months after Adriano Martins knocked him out in the first round, handing Makhachev what remains his only UFC defeat.
Nobody could have known at the time what would follow.
The early part of the run was fairly gradual. Makhachev beat Nik Lentz, Gleison Tibau, Arman Tsarukyan and Davi Ramos before the level of opposition started climbing quickly.
Then came Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, Dan Hooker and Bobby Green.
By the time Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira to become lightweight champion in 2022, he was already deep into one of the longest winning runs in UFC history.
The championship years pushed it into a different category.
He beat Alexander Volkanovski twice, submitted Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, then moved up to welterweight and defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win a second UFC title.
That victory tied Anderson Silva’s record at 16. UFC 330 finally moved him clear.
Ian Machado Garry made the fight competitive in Philadelphia, but Makhachev won a unanimous decision across five rounds, with the judges scoring it 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. It was his 17th straight UFC victory and his first successful defence of the welterweight title.
Nobody in UFC history has now won more consecutive fights.
2. Anderson Silva: 16 Consecutive UFC Wins
Anderson Silva’s record lasted so long because the run itself was ridiculous.
He made his UFC debut against Chris Leben in June 2006 and needed only 49 seconds to stop him.
One fight later, Silva knocked out Rich Franklin to become middleweight champion. The victories just kept coming.
Franklin lost again. Dan Henderson was submitted. Forrest Griffin was embarrassed at light heavyweight. Vitor Belfort was finished with one of the most famous front kicks in UFC history.
Then there was Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen dominated much of their first championship fight through wrestling and ground control before Silva caught him in a triangle-armbar late in the fifth round.
It was probably the closest the streak came to ending before it actually did. Silva eventually reached 16 by beating Stephan Bonnar in 2012.
Chris Weidman finally stopped the run at UFC 162 the following year, knocking Silva out and taking the middleweight championship.
For years, 16 looked almost untouchable. It took Makhachev until August 2026 to finally go beyond it.
Silva also remains among the leading champions in UFC history. Our guide to the most UFC title defences looks at that side of his reign separately.
3. Kamaru Usman: 15 Consecutive UFC Wins
Kamaru Usman came agonisingly close to joining Silva on 16.
His run started against Hayder Hassan in The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale and eventually carried him all the way to the welterweight championship.
Usman’s style during his rise was not always spectacular, but it was brutally effective.
He wore down Demian Maia, beat Rafael dos Anjos and then dominated Tyron Woodley to become champion.
The title reign changed the perception of him.
Usman beat Colby Covington twice, Jorge Masvidal twice and Gilbert Burns, adding five successful defences before meeting Leon Edwards for the second time.
For most of that fight, number 16 looked inevitable.
Usman was comfortably ahead heading into the final minute of the fifth round before Edwards landed a perfect left head kick and knocked him unconscious.
One strike ended a 15-fight streak.
4. Merab Dvalishvili: 14 Consecutive UFC Wins
Merab Dvalishvili’s run becomes even stranger when you remember how his UFC career started.
He lost his first two fights. Then he won 14 straight.
The Georgian built the streak through relentless pressure, takedowns and a pace that very few bantamweights could comfortably match.
Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo were beaten during his climb before Merab defeated Sean O’Malley to become UFC bantamweight champion.
He then retained the belt against Umar Nurmagomedov, beat O’Malley again and defeated Cory Sandhagen.
Petr Yan eventually ended the run in their December 2025 rematch.
Fourteen straight wins still leaves Dvalishvili alone in fourth place in the official UFC record book.
Five Fighters Have Won 13 UFC Fights in a Row
This is where the leaderboard becomes crowded.
Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway all reached 13 consecutive UFC victories.
The routes were completely different.
GSP’s streak began after his shock defeat to Matt Serra and eventually included a long welterweight championship reign before ending with his return against Michael Bisping in 2017. He retired without anybody snapping the streak.
Jones built his run through the light-heavyweight division, beating names such as Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans and Daniel Cormier.
His later victory over Cormier was overturned to a no contest, which is why it did not extend the official streak.
Demetrious Johnson’s 13 wins included one of the most dominant championship reigns the sport has seen. He successfully defended the flyweight belt 11 consecutive times before Henry Cejudo eventually beat him by split decision.
Khabib is different again.
He won all 13 of his UFC appearances and retired undefeated at 29-0 overall. Nobody actually ended his UFC streak. He simply walked away after submitting Justin Gaethje. Then there is Holloway.
After losing to Conor McGregor in 2013, Holloway won 13 straight at featherweight, became champion and beat Jose Aldo twice before eventually moving up to lightweight and losing to Dustin Poirier.
Same number. Five very different careers.
Amanda Nunes, Tony Ferguson and Alexander Volkanovski: 12 Wins
Three more fighters reached 12. Amanda Nunes owns the longest UFC winning streak by a woman.
Her run began against Shayna Baszler in 2015 and included victories over Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.
She became champion in two divisions during the sequence before Julianna Pena submitted her at UFC 269.
Tony Ferguson’s 12-fight lightweight run feels even stranger looking back at the way his career eventually finished.
At his peak, Ferguson was one of the most difficult fighters in the division to deal with. Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone were all beaten before Justin Gaethje finally stopped the streak in 2020.
Alexander Volkanovski also won his first 12 UFC fights.
He went through Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo before taking the featherweight championship from Holloway, then beat Holloway twice more during the run.
His attempt to win a second title finally ended it when Makhachev beat him at UFC 284.
What Counts as a UFC Winning Streak?
This list follows the UFC’s official record book. Only consecutive wins inside the promotion count.
A fighter can therefore have a longer overall MMA winning streak without all of those victories appearing here. Wins in Bellator, PRIDE, Strikeforce, the PFL or any other organisation do not increase a UFC streak.
The method of victory does not matter. A knockout counts as one win. So does a submission or judges’ decision.
A loss ends the sequence, while a draw or no contest cannot extend it.
That last distinction is important with fighters such as Jon Jones, whose second victory over Daniel Cormier was overturned to a no contest.
Our UFC rules guide explains the different official ways a fight can end.
What Is the Longest Winning Streak in One UFC Division?
This is slightly different from the overall record.
Kamaru Usman’s 15 consecutive welterweight victories remain the longest streak completed entirely within a single UFC division.
Makhachev’s record stretches across two weight classes.
Most of his streak came at lightweight before he moved to welterweight, beat Jack Della Maddalena for the championship and then defended it against Ian Machado Garry.
Silva also moved outside middleweight during his 16-fight run, taking several light-heavyweight fights while remaining champion at 185lb.
That is why the single-division and overall records are worth separating.
Can Anyone Catch Islam Makhachev?
Seventeen is a horrible number to chase.
Even fighters who dominate a division eventually run into different generations of opponents, injuries, difficult stylistic matchups or simply one bad night.
Usman was less than a minute away from reaching 16 before Edwards kicked him unconscious.
Silva finally lost after almost seven years without a UFC defeat.
Merab reached 14 after losing his first two UFC fights, only for Yan to stop the run when he appeared to be closing in on the leaders.
Makhachev has already survived the lightweight division, moved up in weight and continued winning against larger opponents.
The frightening part is that his streak is still active. Every additional victory now creates a new UFC record.
You can see where Makhachev and the rest of the current champions sit in our updated UFC rankings 2026.
For upcoming events, championship fights and UK start times, check our UFC schedule 2026.
For more UFC records, fight previews and the latest MMA stories, visit the BetVictor UFC and MMA News hub.
