Conor McGregor applauds Ian Garry's response to UFC 330 defeat

Conor McGregor has reacted to Ian Garry’s post-fight mindset after the latter’s unsuccessful bid for welterweight gold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Garry recently suffered just the second loss of his professional career, dropping a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia. Following the loss, McGregor offered some encouragement to his compatriot.

Ian Garry stays defiant after losing UFC title fight to Islam Makhachev
Garry remained defiant after the defeat, insisting that Makhachev was simply the better man on the night and vowing to learn from the experience. In a social media post the following day, “The Future” reiterated his positive outlook after the loss. Responding to the video, McGregor praised Garry.

“Champion mindset!” McGregor wrote in the comments.

McGregor had previously backed Garry to pull off a major upset, predicting before UFC 330 that the fellow former Cage Warriors champ would knock out Makhachev, who ultimately extended his winning streak in the UFC to 17 straight victories, a new record.

🚨Ian Garry reflects on the fight and Conor McGregor sends him an encouraging message on Instagram. 🇮🇪👊

🗣"I'm not in this world to live up to other people's expectations. I'm here to live up to mine and I know what I could have done."

🗣"I didn't do it tonight and it's only… pic.twitter.com/e1h3iYccXi— FightLuck (@FightluckBet) August 17, 2026