Sixteen wins. Almost ten years without a defeat. Now Islam Makhachev is one fight away from owning one of the UFC’s most difficult records outright.
The welterweight champion currently shares the longest UFC winning streak with Anderson Silva. Both men won 16 consecutive fights inside the Octagon. Makhachev can reach 17 when he defends his title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on Saturday 15 August 2026.
That gives the record an unusual edge. Silva’s sequence has stood since 2012, but this is no longer a piece of history that can only be admired from a distance. It could change in Philadelphia.
Below, we count down the longest winning streaks in UFC history, explain how the leading runs were built and look at what Makhachev must do to move clear at the top. More records, previews and analysis can be found in the BetVictor UFC and MMA news hub.
What Is the Longest UFC Winning Streak?
The longest UFC winning streak is 16 consecutive victories, a record shared by Islam Makhachev and Anderson Silva.
Silva reached 16 by beating Stephan Bonnar in October 2012. His run ended when Chris Weidman knocked him out the following July. Makhachev equalled the record by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025, becoming UFC welterweight champion in the process.
Makhachev’s streak remains active. If he beats Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, he will become the first fighter to win 17 UFC bouts in a row.
What Counts as a UFC Winning Streak?
For consistency, this guide follows the totals in the UFC’s official record book. Only consecutive victories in UFC competition count. Wins earned in another promotion can strengthen a fighter’s overall professional record, but they do not add to a UFC streak.
A loss ends the sequence. A draw or no contest does not count as a victory and cannot extend it. This is why an unbeaten run and a winning streak are not always the same thing. The distinction also matters when a result is later overturned.
The method makes no difference. A knockout, submission or judges’ decision is still one UFC win. If some of those terms are unfamiliar, our guide to the rules of UFC fights explains how bouts can end.
The Longest UFC Winning Streaks in History
Joint 1st: Islam Makhachev – 16 Consecutive UFC Wins
Makhachev’s only UFC defeat came against Adriano Martins in October 2015. Martins caught him with a counter right hook in the opening round, handing the Dagestani the first and, so far, only loss of his professional career.
What followed was not an overnight sprint towards the title. Makhachev began rebuilding against Chris Wade in April 2016, then worked through a long line of increasingly difficult opponents. Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker and Bobby Green all fell during the climb. Charles Oliveira was the man he beat to become lightweight champion.
The streak then moved into championship territory. Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanovski twice, submitted Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, and left the lightweight division after four successful title defences. His 16th straight win came one weight class higher, where he controlled Della Maddalena across five rounds to claim the welterweight belt.
The run contains decisions, knockouts and submissions, which makes it difficult to reduce to one strength. His grappling remains the foundation, though, and our breakdown of the different types of UFC submissions covers several of the techniques that appear on his record.
Joint 1st: Anderson Silva – 16 Consecutive UFC Wins
Anderson Silva set the standard that Makhachev is trying to pass. His UFC debut lasted only 49 seconds, with Chris Leben stopped by a barrage of strikes in June 2006. Silva then knocked out Rich Franklin to win the middleweight title in his second appearance for the promotion.
For the next six years, challengers kept changing and the result did not. Silva beat Franklin again, submitted Dan Henderson, stopped Forrest Griffin at light heavyweight and survived a desperate title defence against Chael Sonnen. The Sonnen fight remains one of the defining moments of the reign: Silva spent much of the night underneath the wrestler before finding a triangle-armbar in the fifth round.
Victories over Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Sonnen for a second time and Bonnar carried the streak to 16. Chris Weidman finally ended it at UFC 162 in July 2013, knocking Silva out in the second round and taking the middleweight championship.
3. Kamaru Usman – 15 Consecutive UFC Wins
Kamaru Usman sits one victory behind the joint record-holders. His 15-fight run began with a win over Hayder Hassan in The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale and included an early decision victory over Leon Edwards.
Usman gradually became the division’s most relentless pressure fighter. He beat Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos before dominating Tyron Woodley to win the welterweight title. Five successful defences followed, including two wins apiece over Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.
Edwards brought the sequence to a dramatic close at UFC 278. Usman was ahead late in the fifth round, only for a left head kick to produce one of the most memorable title changes in UFC history. It was his first UFC defeat after 15 straight wins.
4. Merab Dvalishvili – 14 Consecutive UFC Wins
Merab Dvalishvili began his UFC career with two defeats. That start makes the 14-win response even more remarkable.
Known for a pace that can make a three-round contest feel endless, Dvalishvili built his streak through volume, wrestling and constant pressure. Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo were among the former champions he defeated before he took the bantamweight belt from Sean O’Malley.
The Georgian defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov, beat O’Malley again and then overcame Cory Sandhagen. His run eventually ended in a rematch with Yan at UFC 323 in December 2025. The official UFC record book still places his 14 straight victories fourth on the all-time list.
Joint 5th: Georges St-Pierre – 13 Consecutive UFC Wins
Georges St-Pierre’s streak began after one of the greatest shocks the sport has seen. Matt Serra stopped him in 2007, but St-Pierre returned to beat Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes and Serra in consecutive fights.
From there, the Canadian ruled the welterweight division. Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks all featured during the run. After four years away, St-Pierre came back in 2017 and submitted Michael Bisping to win the middleweight title.
That victory took the streak to 13. He retired without another fight, which means nobody ended his sequence inside the Octagon.
Joint 5th: Jon Jones – 13 Consecutive UFC Wins
Jon Jones has a disqualification defeat against Matt Hamill on his record, although the fight itself is remembered for Jones being in control before illegal elbows caused the stoppage. His official 13-win UFC streak began in his next appearance against Brandon Vera.
The list that followed reads like a history of the light heavyweight division. Jones defeated Ryan Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort and Daniel Cormier. He became the youngest champion in UFC history along the way.
A decision victory over Ovince Saint Preux made it 13. Jones later beat Cormier again, but the result was changed to a no contest, so it did not add another official victory to the run.
Joint 5th: Demetrious Johnson – 13 Consecutive UFC Wins
Demetrious Johnson’s 13 wins came during the era when he turned the UFC flyweight title into his own property. The run began with a rematch victory over Ian McCall and included the decision over Joseph Benavidez that crowned Johnson as the promotion’s first flyweight champion.
Johnson went on to record 11 successful title defences. He could win a fight almost anywhere: by decision, through fast combinations or with elite grappling. His fifth-round armbar of Kyoji Horiguchi arrived with one second remaining, while the airborne armbar used against Ray Borg became an instant highlight.
Henry Cejudo ended the streak by split decision at UFC 227 in August 2018.
Joint 5th: Khabib Nurmagomedov – 13 Consecutive UFC Wins
Khabib Nurmagomedov is the only fighter in this group who completed his UFC streak without suffering a professional defeat before or after it. He entered the promotion at 16-0, won all 13 of his UFC fights and retired with a 29-0 record.
His run included victories over Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza and Al Iaquinta, with the latter earning him the vacant lightweight title. Defences against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje followed.
Nurmagomedov submitted Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020 and retired in the cage. His streak stopped at 13 only because he chose not to fight again.
Joint 5th: Max Holloway – 13 Consecutive UFC Wins
Max Holloway was 22 when he lost a decision to Conor McGregor in August 2013. He did not lose another UFC fight for more than five years.
Holloway’s 13-win streak started against Will Chope and grew through victories over Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas. He then stopped Anthony Pettis to become interim featherweight champion.
Two commanding wins over Jose Aldo established Holloway as the undisputed champion, and a fourth-round stoppage of Brian Ortega made it 13 in a row. The sequence ended when Holloway moved up to lightweight and lost a decision to Dustin Poirier in April 2019.
Joint 10th: Amanda Nunes – 12 Consecutive UFC Wins
Amanda Nunes owns the longest UFC winning streak by a woman. Her 12 victories began with a stoppage of Shayna Baszler in March 2015 and carried her to championships in two divisions.
Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm all lost during the run. Nunes needed only 51 seconds to stop Cyborg and take the featherweight belt, becoming the first woman to hold two UFC titles at the same time.
Julianna Pena ended the streak with a second-round submission at UFC 269. Nunes won the immediate rematch and later retired as champion.
Joint 10th: Tony Ferguson – 12 Consecutive UFC Wins
Before injuries and defeats altered the final chapter of his career, Tony Ferguson put together one of the deepest lightweight runs the UFC has seen.
His 12 straight victories covered a mixture of styles and situations. Edson Barboza was submitted, Rafael dos Anjos was outworked across five rounds, Kevin Lee was beaten for the interim title and Anthony Pettis was stopped after a chaotic fight.
Ferguson’s sequence ended against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020. Gaethje took the contest on short notice, controlled the striking exchanges and earned a fifth-round stoppage.
Joint 10th: Alexander Volkanovski – 12 Consecutive UFC Wins
Alexander Volkanovski won his first 12 UFC fights after making his debut in November 2016. The run moved from prospects and contenders to a sustained spell at the top of the featherweight division.
Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo were the final steps before Volkanovski beat Max Holloway for the title. He defeated Holloway twice more during the streak and defended the belt against Brian Ortega and the Korean Zombie.
Volkanovski’s attempt to become a two-division champion brought the sequence to an end. Makhachev beat him by decision at UFC 284, creating a direct link between one of the UFC’s longest streaks and the man now trying to own the record.
Can Islam Makhachev Break the UFC Winning-Streak Record?
Yes. One more victory would give Makhachev 17 consecutive UFC wins and move him beyond Silva.
The opportunity comes against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event. Makhachev will make the first defence of his welterweight title, while Garry enters his first UFC championship fight with a 17-1 professional record. The Irish challenger has never been knocked out or submitted.
It is also a meeting of very different preferences. Makhachev does his best work when he can close distance, connect his wrestling and make an opponent carry his weight. Garry is taller, mobile and more comfortable working from range. Our full UFC 330 Makhachev vs Garry preview covers the matchup, complete card and UK start time.
History gives Makhachev the opportunity, not the result. Silva’s streak ended as a heavy favourite, while Usman was less than a minute from a 16th straight victory when Edwards landed the decisive head kick. The biggest upsets in UFC history are a reminder of how quickly a record can disappear.
What Is the Longest Winning Streak in One UFC Division?
Kamaru Usman’s 15 consecutive welterweight victories stand as the longest winning streak completed entirely within one UFC division.
That is different from the overall UFC record. Makhachev built most of his run at lightweight before moving to welterweight, while Silva took several light heavyweight fights during his reign as middleweight champion.
Divisional streaks measure sustained dominance against opponents competing around the same weight limit. Overall UFC streaks follow consecutive promotional victories even when a fighter changes division or takes a catchweight bout.
Why Is a Long UFC Winning Streak So Difficult?
Reaching double figures means surviving several versions of the same division. Prospects become contenders, contenders become champions and a fighter eventually faces opponents who have spent years studying the habits behind the streak.
The demands change too. Early UFC bouts are usually scheduled for three rounds. Main events and title fights can last five, leaving more time for fatigue, damage or a single mistake to alter the result. Championship success also brings rematches, where both camps arrive with evidence from the first meeting.
Then there are the variables nobody can fully control: injuries, late replacement opponents, difficult weight cuts and close scorecards. A fighter must keep winning through all of them. That is why only 12 names in the official UFC record book have ever reached 12 consecutive victories.
Makhachev’s Chance to Stand Alone
Silva’s record survived for more than a decade because even the greatest fighters eventually ran into a bad night. Some moved division, some met a better opponent and others walked away while their streak was still intact.
Makhachev now has the chance none of them took. He has already matched 16 while winning titles at lightweight and welterweight. Beating Garry would not simply add another defence to his record; it would make him the first UFC fighter to reach 17 consecutive victories.
UFC 330 takes place on Saturday 15 August 2026. View the latest UFC betting markets and odds at BetVictor.
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