Rory MacDonald issues statement following PFL loss to Ray Cooper lll

Rory MacDonald has issued a statement following his PFL semi-final defeat to Ray Cooper III last week.

MacDonald, who was also beaten by Gleison Tibau in a controversial split decision defeat just two months ago, has been on quite the rollercoaster ride ever since leaving the UFC and joining Bellator – and then PFL.

“The Red King” attempted to advance to the final of this year’s PFL welterweight tournament when taking on Cooper but instead, he was controlled and beaten by his opponent who came away with the unanimous decision success.

In response, MacDonald took to social media and explained one of the reasons why he believes things didn’t go to plan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSxuIYYFXJI/?utm_medium=copy_link

“Happy to be home with my family after spending 6 weeks apart. Being away from them for that long really affected me & showed me how much we need to be together for me to be at my best.

Ill be taking a few weeks off to enjoy relaxing at home with family and use the time to start planning my comeback for my 2nd season in @pflmma”

Nobody truly knows whether or not Rory MacDonald is past his best in mixed martial arts but he definitely appears to be having struggles in his current environment. Perhaps if he’s able to find the perfect blend of home life and professional then he’ll be able to make a run for the money and the title next year, but for the time being, it’s about sitting and reflecting as Ray Cooper III attempts to successfully retain the title he won back in December 2019.

Do you think Rory MacDonald can come back and win the PFL strap next year? If not, do you think he should consider heading to a different promotion? Let us know your thoughts on his future down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!