Conor McGregor has praised Ian Garry’s response to his unsuccessful UFC welterweight title bid after the Irishman suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
Garry entered the contest seeking to claim UFC gold but was handed just the second defeat of his professional career as Makhachev retained his place at the top of the 170-pound division. The result also saw Makhachev extend his UFC winning streak to a record 17 consecutive victories.
“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,” said Garry in a social media video following the defeat.
“I didn’t do it tonight and it’s only going to weigh on my conscience and my brain. So I just get back in the gym. We can keep doing what we’ve been doing. We get back in the octagon soon because there is nothing better than activity in this sport,” he added.
Garry reiterated his positive outlook in a social media post the following day, drawing a response from former UFC two-weight champion McGregor. “Champion mindset!” McGregor wrote in the comments.
McGregor had backed his compatriot ahead of UFC 330, predicting that the former Cage Warriors champion would score a knockout victory over Makhachev. Instead, Makhachev secured the decision victory and extended his UFC winning run to 17 fights, while Garry indicated he intends to return to the gym and seek another bout soon.
