The UFC heads to Philly this Sunday with two title fights taking place on the main card.
Double champ Islam Makhachev is on the hint to break the all-time UFC winning streak record when he defends his welterweight belt against Irishman Ian Garry in the main event.
And in the co-main event the UFC women’s Strawweight title is up for grabs between Mackenzie Dern and Gillian Robertson.
There are plenty of great fights throughout the card and our best bets can be read below.
The number one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport Islam Makhachev is searching to join an elite club of fighters who have won and defended belts in two separate weight classes in the UFC.
Only Amanda Nunes and Daniel Cormier have achieved this feat.
At Lightweight, Makhachev had the most title fight victories, most successful title defences and the highest significant strike accuracy (59.5%) before beating JDM to win the welterweight title.
With a win on Sunday he will break Anderson Silva’s record of 16 consecutive UFC wins.
The man standing in his way is Ian Garry who has had the added pressure of being compared to his compatriot Conor McGregor for his entire career despite them being very different in fighting style and personality.
Garry has suffered defeat just once during his 17 pro MMA career and that was to Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2024.
His last six straight UFC fights have required the judges to appoint a winner and nine of his last 12 have gone the distance.
I’m unsure that we have seen a wrestler like Makhachev in the history of the sport but, unlike his protege Khabib Nurmagomedov, he can mix his striking into his repertoire which adds a layer of attack that his opponents must counteract.
There’s many things to like about Garry but he’s not the man to stop this streak in my opinion.
Tip
Islam Makhachev in Rounds 4, 5 or by decision @ $1.94
Mackenzie Dern made her UFC debut in 2018 and four of her first six wins were by submission, three of which came in the first round.
She knew her strength and overwhelmed her opponents with her elite BJJ skills.
But then she started fighting good strikers and in a period of 2.5 years she lost four out of six fights which put her back in the pack.
To her credit she evolved and once she got her chance at the title she defeated Virna Jandiroba to claim UFC gold in October 2025.
Gillian Robertson made her UFC debut in the same year as Dern and has been a very active fighter during that time.
She was young when she entered the UFC and her career was up and down but she has now won seven of her last eight to earn this title shot.
An accomplished grappler herself with nine submission wins, she will be confident wherever the fight goes.
Dern clearly has an edge on the canvas but her problem has always been getting the fight to the ground with a takedown average of just 0.93 per 15 minutes fight time.
She also absorbs more significant strikes (3.93) than she dishes out (3.47) and it’s for this reason I am siding with the Canadian to cause an upset.
Tip
Gillian Robertson To Win @ $3.05
Mansur Abdul-Malik was undefeated through his first nine pro MMA fights and won a contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.
All three of his UFC wins have been finishes and seven of his nine fights have been KO victories.
Dustin Stoltzfus has an overall record of 18-6 and it’s now or never for his UFC career on the main card on Sunday.
He comes into this fight on the back of two consecutive losses by decision and I predict he will be looking to get this fight to the ground if he can.
I do believe he gets caught before that happens.
Tip
Mansur Abdul-Malik By KO/TKO
Charles Johnson made his professional MMA debut in 2016 and uniquely was boxing at the same time.
He won his first six straight MMA fights but in his 10 pro boxing fights he won only once.
He focused his attention on mixed martial arts and won the LFA flyweight title before being signed to the UFC.
Eight wins from 15 fights in the biggest promotion in the sport isn’t a great record but he has a knockout victory over UFC champion Joshua Van back in 2024.
Jose Ochoa is just 25 years of age and 10 years younger than his opponent.
He was 6-0 when he entered the UFC in 2024 but lost two of his first three fights but he has a knockout win over Cody Durden to his name.
Youth is on his side and I believe he will do enough to score more points than his opponent.
Tip
Jose Ochoa By Decision
UFC stalwart Edson Barboza continues his incredible career on Sunday on the main card but his days are numbered in the sport unfortunately.
He made his debut in the UFC way back in 2010 and has wins over Dan Hooker, Anthony Pettis and Paul Felder but has won just two of his last seven.
Esteban Ribovics has an overall record of 15-3 but has lost two of his last three although one of those was a split decision to Nasrat Haqparast.
Barboza is durable but he has absorbed 4.68 significant strikes per minute during his long career and that is starting to catch up with him.
Tip
Esteban Ribovics By Decision