Irish superstar Conor McGregor wasted no time in laying out a game plan for success for his fellow Irishman, Ian Machado Garry, ahead of his welterweight title showdown with Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on Saturday night.

The Notorious is no stranger to UFC gold, having won titles in two weight divisions. Few other fighters can boast that achievement, but current welterweight champion Makhachev is one of them, having previously held the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Having won his last 16 straight fights, Makhachev is understandably a heavy favourite for the contest. Garry lost to fellow top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024, but still holds a 10-1 record inside the Octagon.

Conor McGregor’s Message to Ian Garry Ahead of UFC 330

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McGregor and Garry have had a strained relationship at times over the years, with Ian previously being linked as a potential opponent for Conor prior to his injury-based loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 last month.

Despite their past differences, McGregor unleashed a burst of trademark Irish encouragement after Makhachev and Garry went face-to-face for the first time on fight week for the first time in front of the Rocky Statue in Philadelphia.

Responding to a video of the face-off, McGregor jumped to social media with a line that caught fire: “Come on Garry, target that big mallet!” referring to Garry aiming straight for Makhachev’s head.

Why Conor McGregor is Supporting Ian Garry at UFC 330?

Screenshot: UFC Instagram

Conor knows plenty about winning UFC championships in devastating fashion after claiming both of his world titles via early stoppages. However, his interest in the bout runs deeper than national pride; as the first two-division champion in UFC history and a central figure in the long-running feud between Ireland and Dagestan, he knows exactly what this fight represents.

In the most famous meeting between fighters from the two countries, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229 in the most-watched UFC event ever, drawing an estimated 2.4 million pay-per-view buys in the United States and over four million people watching the live broadcast in Russia during the pay-per-view era of the UFC.

Now the spotlight shifts to Garry, who steps into UFC 330 not just as the obvious title challenger, after defeating Carlos Prates on short notice in Kansas City, and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in Qatar last November, but as Ireland’s newest hope of finally breaking Dagestan’s streak. His opponent, Makhachev, is Khabib’s protégé.

McGregor’s response to the clip wasn’t just advice; it was a symbolic passing of the torch. He’s urging Garry to bring the aggression, embrace the moment, and swing boldly at a champion who represents the same region that once handed McGregor his most painful defeat.

Aston Villa are preparing a loan move for Jonathan David with an obligation to buy the Juventus striker, according to reports from Italy.

Villa are preparing for a big season in the Midlands and have already added three new players to Unai Emery’s squad.

Strengthening in midfield with Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes joining from Freiburg and Wolves respectively, the club have also brought in Alejandro Garnacho on a season-long loan move from Chelsea.

The Europa League winners are not done in the transfer market just yet, though, as Joao Palhinha appears in line to join from Bayern Munich after agreeing on personal terms with the club.

Villa could be set to add to their options further up the pitch, with David a potential incoming from Juventus.

According to Tuttomercatoweb and Radio Sportiva reporter Marco Conterio, Villa are preparing a loan move for David that would become permanent via an obligation in their agreement with Juventus.

The Canada international only joined the Bianconeri on a free transfer last summer after his previous goalscoring exploits with Lille in France.

Contributing 109 goals and 31 assists in his time with the Ligue 1 club, David was unable to hit the heights in his debut campaign at Juventus as he found himself in and out of the team.

The 26-year-old did still manage eight goals, with two of those coming for the Italian giants in the Champions League.

Speaking last year, Canada manager Jesse March also waxed lyrical about the centre-forward.

The former Leeds boss said: “I think they, by signing him, have secured an exceptional player.” He also described the forward as being “very intelligent, able to play in different positions in attack, alone or in a pair with another striker.”

A move away from Juventus could come to fruition this summer, especially with Spalletti’s team adding to their frontline with the permanent addition of former loanee Randal Kolo Muani.

What Jonathan David Would Bring to Aston Villa

Jonathan David goals and assists stats:

• Canada: 42 goals and 20 assists in 82 games
• Juventus: Eight goals and five assists in 46 games
• Lille: 109 goals and 31 assists in 232 games
• KAA Gent: 37 goals and 15 assists in 83 games

The potential arrival of David to Villa Park would give Emery more choice when it comes to his attack during the 2026/27 season as the Midlands club aim to go far in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Already having Ollie Watkins as their first-choice option, Villa re-signed Tammy Abraham on a permanent basis from Besiktas back in January and they now have 17-year-old Brian Madjo following his transfer from Metz.

It was in fact Madjo who led the line and scored on his debut in the team’s 2-1 UEFA Super Cup final defeat against PSG on Wednesday evening.

In terms of David, he is an out-and-out striker who would bring even more experience and nous in front of goal to Emery’s team.

His goal record for club and country is extremely impressive, with his time at Lille a standout that ultimately resulted in his move to Juventus.

In signing Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans for just £35m, Manchester United may have picked up one of the deals of the summer. Aston Villa, however, will not be pleased to see such a key player depart. Adding to that frustration, his recent comments wouldn’t have gone down well with many at Villa Park.

The 29-year-old joined Villa in 2019 on a free transfer, signing from Leicester City. He’d won the FA Cup with the Foxes and then added the Europa League to his trophy cabinet under Unai Emery. Now at Old Trafford, Tielemans will be hoping for more silverware in the years to come.

The Belgian has already shown promising signs in a Man Utd shirt, earning praise from his new fans after an impressive 25-minute cameo against Paris Saint-Germain in his first appearance for the club. Amid the excitement of joining the Red Devils, though, he appears to have inadvertently upset the Villa supporters.

Youri Tielemans Insults Aston Villa After Man Utd Move

Reuters/Anne-Marie Sorvin

Speaking during Man United’s pre-season tour, Tielemans praised his former club for helping him get “back to my best level.” He then suggested Villa are a smaller club, adding:

He concluded: “It is a great achievement for any footballer to end up here. It means you have done well in your career. But it does not end there. I want to be successful.”

As per the BBC, some Villa fans were ‘unhappy’ with Tielemans’ comments, and he appeared to get plenty of heat online as his former fanbase slammed him. It was so bad, in fact, that the player has since taken to social media to apologise for his comments.

Tielemans Issues Apology After Upsetting Villa Fans

Via his official Instagram account, Tielemans shared a statement on his story, in which he owned up to his ‘mistake.’ In full, he wrote:

Tielemans spent three years at Villa Park, making 134 appearances and scoring 10 goals. With that in mind, he’ll have a complete understanding of just how much the club means to their loyal fanbase. This is evidenced in the way that he has quickly moved to apologise for his comments.

It will be interesting to see what sort of reception the Belgian gets when he plays against Villa next season. The first meet at Old Trafford on 7 November, before Tielemans returns to Villa Park on 16 January.

Tielemans has also spoken about his adaptation after working with new boss Michael Carrick. He told the press: “He has got his structure. He wants to have the ball, he wants to press in certain ways, you know. It might be different than what you are used to, what I have been used to before, but it is logical things in my opinion. It is just smelling football, and that is what I have been doing from when I was young at Anderlecht.

“So for me, nothing changes, but it just needs to gel together. Then when you follow those principles, then you can add your offensive qualities, especially in the last third where everything is a bit more in freedom, without obviously overcommitting and keeping the defensive line in place, then I think we can do good things.”