Video: UFC 330 title fighters face off at 'Rocky Steps'
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA – Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry have completed their first faceoff of UFC 330 fight week.
Tuesday, Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) and Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) had a somewhat tense, but composed and respectful staredown at the "Rocky Steps" – the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia where the 1976 movie "Rocky" filmed its most iconic scene. The two headline UFC 330 (Paramount+) Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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This will be Makhachev's first title defense at 170 pounds. He won the belt in November, dethroning Jack Della Maddalena in a unanimous decision. The move up to welterweight came after Makhachev dominated the 155-pound division, winning the belt in 2022 and going on to defend it four consecutive times.
For Machado Garry, this will be his first crack at UFC gold. Machado Garry earned this shot with back-to-back decision wins over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad, which marked his comeback from his first professional loss, which came to Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2024.
Co-main event title fighters Mackenzie Dern, the women's strawweight champ, and challenger Gillian Robertson also squared off at the museum Tuesday. Check out both in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC 330 title fighters face off at 'Rocky Steps'