Lima was in Garry's corner in Philadelphia and told MMA Fighting he only paid attention to the hugs when it later became a topic of discussion.

“I swear I didn't notice it,†Lima said. “And I don't think the hugs influenced anything at all. Him greeting his opponent, honestly… Charles [Oliveira] does that too. Charles hugs everyone when the round ends, when the round starts. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. That didn't change the outcome of the fight. Thank God, Ian is a family man, a respectful guy, extremely polite. If he wants to greet people more, let him greet people more. There's no problem with that.â€

That was the second time Makhachev has faced a fighter coached by Lima, the first being a lightweight title bout against Charles Oliveira, and Lima has nothing but great things to say about the welterweight champion.

“As much as he's our opponent, he's also an extremely respectful guy,†Lima said. “I like him as a human being. I also admire his work as a fighter. But even though we're opponents, he's a guy who always greets us whenever he sees us and gives us a hug.â€

Lima admits maybe Garry could have won the fight if he had been more aggressive inside the octagon, and that's a lesson learned for the future. He remains proud of what Garry was able to do against one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.

“Ian fought very well, and you saw both of their faces,†Lima said. “I think if we had been just a little more aggressive, we could have knocked him out. But at the same time, we knew we were facing the No. 1 guy. There's nothing you can say about Makhachev, he's an extremely tough guy.â€

“He really is a very tough, very good fighter, and the results speak for themselves,†he continued. “And Ian Garry came very close to winning this fight. That's why I really believe that in a rematch, Ian Garry can win. I'm not going to say that [Makhachev] isn't all that, because he is. He's very, very tough. But I think everyone saw it, and Makhachev himself saw it, how tough Ian is. I think if we had been a little more aggressive, we could have knocked him out. Because Ian, in my opinion, is one of the smartest fighters in the UFC. One of the highest fight IQs in the UFC. He adapts to everyone's game. He fought [Carlos] Prates, who is a nasty striker. He fought Makhachev, who is a nasty grappler, and he adapted to both styles. I really believe we're going to have that belt next year.â€

On Saturday, Silva headlined the fourth iteration of Noche UFC, taking on Jose Miguel Delgado in the main event in Glendale, Arizona. And while he was slow to start, Silva was quick to finish, dropping Delgado in the third round and then tapping him with a one-armed rear-naked choke. Afterward, Silva called for the winner of the upcoming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev title fight, but will he get it?

Following Noche UFC, MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew (and Alexander K. Lee for a brief moment) chopped it up about Silva's impressive performance and what that portends for his future. Jed then also discussed Brandon Moreno's win over Joseph Morales in the co-main event, the rise of Tommy McMillen as a new star, Alexa Grasso's return to form, and the rest of the action from Glendale.

Watch the Noche UFC post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

While he was heavily favored to win, Garcia still had to get the job done and it's safe to say he passed that test with flying colors. Best known for a blistering left hand, Garcia showed off his power in the right after blasted Benn with a single shot that sent the British boxer to the canvas in a heap.

Benn managed to make it back to his feet but Garcia wasn't going to stop until he ended the fight as he just kept hammering away and the referee had no choice but to stop the contest. The end came at 1:25 in the second round as Garcia earned the knockout victory.

“I feel at peace,†Garcia said after his title defense. “I've always had a right hand but I've always had injuries. I want to thank Conor for great buildup and a great match. Viva Mexico!â€

Garcia's left hand was landing early and often with Benn trying to find his way inside to show off some of his own power. Benn tried to show off some power as he was digging to the body and then going back up to the head but Garcia was quick to fire back with some nasty shots of his own.

As the second round got underway, Garcia uncorked a hellacious right hand that blasted Benn and he fell to the canvas. Benn was able to get back to his feet to make the 10 count but Garcia wasn't going to give him a moment to breathe.

Garcia just started blasting away with punches as Benn was desperate to survive.

The assault continued with Garcia just unloading shot sand Benn couldn't do much of anything but absorb the punishment until the referee saw enough to stop the fight before any further damage was done.

Garcia's win once again establishes him as one of the top welterweights in the sport but there are still plenty of challenges awaiting him including a potential showdown against Teofimo Lopez, who was in the crowd, and the same goes for Devin Haney.

Garcia previously defeated Haney but a positive drug test overturned the result to a no-contest and the “King†had to serve a one-year suspension. Now he wants that one back as well.

“Teofimo, get that ass up here,†Garcia shouted into the crowd. “Where you at? He wants to get crazy, we can get crazy. I'll beat your ass right now!

“Hopefully we get to beat Devin Haney's ass again for undisputed. F*ck the Haney's!â€

Garcia is already viewed as one of the biggest names in the sport and he's only setting himself up for bigger and better fights with a performance like he had on Saturday. Now he effectively has his pick for potential opponents as he moves forward with his career into 2027 and beyond.