Rory MacDonald News

Harry Kettle - August 20, 2021

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.

Drake Riggs - August 11, 2021

Rory MacDonald has fought some of the biggest and best names in MMA. “The Red King” initially rose to prominence in the UFC welterweight division often touted as the heir to Georges St-Pierre as the two trained together at TriStar in Montreal. MacDonald started off his career with a strong 13-1 record but it wasn’t until his 14th victory that many believed he was ready for the upper-echelon of the weight class.

Adam D Martin - July 21, 2021

A welterweight matchup pitting Rory MacDonald vs. Ray Cooper III is among the newly-announced PFL season three playoff semifinal matchups. PFL announced the complete list of its season three semifinal bouts this week on its social media, with three events scheduled to take place on August 13, August 19, and August 27.

Adam D Martin - June 22, 2021

Veteran Gleison Tibau vowed to knock Rory MacDonald out in a future PFL rematch, saying that “he already wanted the fight to be over.” Tibau won a highly controversial split decision over MacDonald in the main event of PFL 5. Most fans and media believed that MacDonald did enough to win the decision, but two of the three judges gave the split nod to Tibau instead. Some fans have suggested it’s one of the worst decisions they have ever seen, but if you ask Tibau, he’s confident he won.

Adam D Martin - June 18, 2021

Rory MacDonald reacted following the “clear robbery” in his PFL 5 fight with Gleison Tibau, saying “I think that this should be looked into.” MacDonald was competing in PFL for the second time following a submission win over Curtis Millender in his promotional debut in April. Against Tibau, MacDonald used a game plan of sticking and moving on the outside to outpoint Tibau and take home a decision. He also used his grappling in the first round effectively. However, when the judges’ scorecards were read after the three rounds, it was Tibau winning the split decision, not MacDonald.

Harry Kettle - June 18, 2021

The scorecards from the three judges scoring Rory MacDonald vs Gleison Tibau last night have been released to the public. PFL 5 is officially in the books and while we may know the four welterweight contenders who will progress through to the playoffs, the process of learning who would go through certainly didn’t come easily.

Harry Kettle - June 18, 2021

Multiple MMA fighters reacted on social media after Gleison Tibau pulled off an upset win over Rory MacDonald at PFL 5 last night. The two men battled it out as part of the final push towards the welterweight playoffs in the PFL. The overwhelming expectation heading into the bout was that MacDonald would blow the doors off of Tibau and while it wasn’t quite so convincing, many did believe he was the one who should have his hand raised.

Adam D Martin - May 26, 2021

PFL welterweight contender Rory MacDonald has disputed the notion that all of the world’s top mixed martial artists are in the UFC. MacDonald was one of the UFC’s top welterweights from 2010 to 2016, going 9-4 in the Octagon during that stretch, even fighting Robbie Lawler for the belt at UFC 189 in 2015. Since leaving the UFC, MacDonald traveled to Bellator, where he became that promotion’s welterweight champion, and now he’s in PFL, where he is one of the favorites to take down the $1 million grand prize in the organization’s 170lbs tournament. MacDonald might not be in his prime anymore but he’s still a quality welterweight even though he’s in PFL.

Adam D Martin - April 30, 2021

Former UFC and Bellator welterweight star Rory MacDonald reacted after beating Curtis Millender by first-round submission at PFL 2. MacDonald hadn’t fought since October 2019, when he dropped a decision to Douglas Lima in Bellator in what was his final fight before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After taking all of 2020 off, PFL is back for its third season in 2021, and MacDonald was matched up in his first regular-season fight against Millender at PFL 2 on Thursday night. It didn’t take long for “The Red King” to land the takedown, take the back of Millender, and get back in the win column. It was a fantastic win by MacDonald and showed he’s still a talented fighter.

Drake Riggs - April 29, 2021

The PFL’s 2021 season is officially underway. After a wild first event, it was on to the next as Rory MacDonald made his long-awaited debut. Standing in his way was fellow UFC and Bellator veteran, “Courteous” Curtis Millender. MacDonald was last in action in October 2019 when rematching Douglas Lima. After a successful Bellator debut in May 2017 against Paul Daley, MacDonald went on to defeat Lima and become the welterweight champion.

Cole Shelton - April 9, 2021

Curtis Millender is getting a big opportunity. Originally, UFC veteran and former Bellator champion, Rory MacDonald was set to make his PFL debut against David Michaud. Yet, Michaud revealed he can no longer compete due to a heart disorder. But, according to MMAJunkie, UFC and Bellator veteran, Curtis Millender has agreed to step up on short notice to battle MacDonald on April 29.

Adam Martin - April 4, 2021

PFL welterweight Rory MacDonald praised former opponent BJ Penn, saying that he was someone who he looked up to coming up in the sport. MacDonald returns to the cage later this month when he takes on David Michaud in a welterweight bout as part of PFL’s season three. MacDonald is a former UFC title challenger and a former Bellator welterweight champion, but he took his talents to PFL in search of a new challenge and the lure of the $1 million grand prize. For someone who has been fighting the best welterweights in the world for the past decade, the chance for MacDonald to go to the PFL and try to win another world title was something he couldn’t pass up.

Drake Riggs - February 16, 2021

The PFL 2021 season is shaping up to be a good one. Among the most notable new roster additions is Rory MacDonald — and last year’s champion, Ray Cooper III, is not impressed. After dropping his Bellator welterweight title in a rematch against Douglas Lima on October 26, 2019, MacDonald parted ways with the promotion. Now he finds himself once again on the hunt for a million dollars at the end of the PFL tournament.

Chris Taylor - January 30, 2021

Former UFC title challenger and Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald appears to be in phenomenal shape ahead of his PFL debut. MacDonald (21-6-1 MMA) signed with the Professional Fighters League following a six-fight stint with Bellator. “The Red King” is coming off a loss to Douglas Lima in his most recent effort, which occurred back in October of 2019. Prior to that setback, Rory MacDonald was coming off a unanimous decision victory over Neiman Gracie.

Adam Martin - January 28, 2021

Former UFC title challenger and current PFL welterweight Rory MacDonald said he is open to a return to the Octagon in the future. MacDonald is currently signed to PFL and will participate in the promotion’s upcoming third season on ESPN. Ever the consummate veteran, “The Red King” is of course currently focused on winning the PFL welterweight tournament and taking home the $1 million dollar grand prize. But when a fan asked him during a recent Q&A session if he would ever make a return to the UFC, MacDonald said he would be open to it.

Natasha Hooper - July 6, 2020

With his career on standstill due to the ongoing pandemic, Rory MacDonald has had the opportunity to reflect on the highs and lows of his fighting career. During an interview with MMA Fighting, the 30-year old revealed the moments that have defined his 15-year professional career.

Adam Martin - February 7, 2020

Former UFC welterweight rivals Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler have recently been training together at Hard Knocks 365 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. MacDonald has been on vacation this week with his family in Florida and decided to drop into Hard Knocks to get some training in with head coach Henri Hooft. While he was there, MacDonald got some training in with his long-time rival Lawler.

Tom Taylor - January 1, 2020

Rory MacDonald is no longer a Bellator fighter, having signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in 2020. While this promotion change has opened the door to some new and exciting matchups for MacDonald, it has seemingly closed the door on a trilogy fight between MacDonald and reigning Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima, who are currently tied 1-1 across two previous bouts. Yet MacDonald doesn’t see it that way.