Conor McGregor is back with another “mystic” prediction.
Ahead of UFC 330 this weekend (Aug. 15, 2026) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, all eyes are on the main event between Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev is not only seeking his first Welterweight title defense, but the current pound-for-pound king also aims to dethrone Anderson Silva by extending his current win streak to 18. Garry, meanwhile, has been comfortable in the underdog role, consistently talking up his opponent ahead of what he hopes is a historic upset.
McGregor — who intends to compete at Welterweight whenever he returns to action — has an interesting relationship with both men. At one point, he was in discussion to box Makhachev, and obviously, he has a longstanding beef with Makhachev’s coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. On the other hand, McGregor has sparred with Garry in the past (watch here) and generally been supportive of his rise, although he’s also expressed a willingness to fight him if gold were on the line.
Analyzing the duo head-to-head, McGregor is expecting a Garry victory … specifically via right high kick.
”Let’s go, Garry,” McGregor said (via The Heavy). “You know it. He has the tools. He’s been doing great work at SBG. He’s been putting in some solid rounds. I’ve been hearing about the rounds and what the structure was. He’s long. He’s definitely going to stay safe. He’s definitely going to be in there. He’s definitely going to be in there all the way.
“Makhachev has pockets where there’s a lot of stalling. He still has things to prove in that welterweight division. He does look like he has to grow into it a bit more. It’s a cracking contest. Of course, I’m going with Ian Garry. I really think he can do it. Of course, I think he can do it. How do I see it? Right high kick across the crown of the head and a victory for the Irish Brazilian. Let’s go, Ian. Rooting for you, bro. Great scrap, yeah?”
While Garry hasn’t been a particularly nasty knockout artist since facing top Welterweight opponents, his most recent knockout did indeed come via high kick versus Daniel Rodriguez. Anyone with the Mac in backing Garry to capture UFC gold?
