Rory MacDonald News

Tom Taylor - January 20, 2018

While UFC 220 is dominating the attention of most MMA fans tonight, Bellator is also back in action, promoting one of its best shows to date in Bellator 192. In the co-main event of this stacked card, Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima attempted to defend his title against his fiercest adversary to date: former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald.  Round one began with MacDonald controlling the distance, backing the champion up with jabs and a head-kick. Midway through the first round the Canadian completed a takedown. From there, he sat in Lima’s guard, raining down ground-and-pound, but eating a few shots from the bottom in the process. Eventually, the referee stood the pair up with 10 seconds left in the round, but both survived to the bell.

Justin Golightly - January 19, 2018

There are some huge fights tomorrow. Two giant title fights are perched atop UFC 220 which goes down in Boston, but Bellator’s title fight is just as big. Former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald gets his shot at Bellator gold against belt-holder Douglas Lima. MacDonald has a chance to accomplish something he was never able to pull off in the UFC, but Lima is there to try and stop him every step of the way. Even if that means targeting a body part that has caused him problems since 2015’s Fight of the Year against Robbie Lawler. “At some point over 25 minutes, [Rory MacDonald]’s going to have to take those shots and I’m definitely curious to see how he handles it and how he’s going to react to that. I’m throwing everything with bad intentions. I’m going to try to finish him every second of the fight. I don’t want this fight to go to a decision. I want to make a statement and I want to take his head off. Let’s see if his nose has healed up. I’m definitely going to aim for that.”

Justin Golightly - January 19, 2018

Rory MacDonald’s upcoming fight with Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight title is arguably the biggest fight in the organization’s history. So, needless to say, a lot of people were confused when it turned out this fight was not going to be the main event of the card. Instead, the heavyweight grand prix tournament bout would headline the Bellator event. An executive who has been carried over from Spike TV into their new Paramount network recently spoke out on the decision to clear the air. “We’ll creatively differentiate the main event card and the grand prix in many different ways. We want this creative differentiation to make the heavyweight grand prix feel like a separate and unique event to the audience and that’s why it ends the night. And moving forward, all of the Bellator tentpoles in 2018 will end with a Bellator grand prix event. It’ll make sense to you, because what we’re doing is really creating another — it’s like a show in a show. “It’s an event within the event.”

Drake Riggs - January 17, 2018

“I’m disappointed, what can I say? Every time you fight for a world championship fighters take pride…it’s a special moment to be a main event for a world title fight. It’s an unfortunate part of it, but I’m not going to let it take my focus away from what my job is and getting that title. It was totally out of the blue. I didn’t see it coming. I found out through an interview. I didn’t even find out from anyone from Bellator or anything like that so it was a total shocker,” said the challenger.

Justin Golightly - January 5, 2018

In just two weeks, one of the biggest fights in Bellator history will go down to determine if Douglas Lima keeps his welterweight title, or if UFC transplant Rory MacDonald fulfills capturing the hold that alluded him in his previous organization. As the bell time draws closer and closer, MacDonald revealed some of the violent plans he has in mind for not just Lima, but for Bellator itself. Douglas Limas, who thinks MacDonald is a little too overconfident, has his own plans of proving he’s one of the very best in the world whether he’s in the UFC or not. “It’s the fight I wanted. [Rory MacDonald]’s a tough guy but no big deal. To me, he’s an opponent like any other. He’s got his strengths. He’s been in many wars, but after the first hand lands, he’ll change his plan, for sure. He’s very sure of himself. He’s saying he’s one step ahead of everyone in the division, right? But let him be. He’s very confident, and that will change as soon as the first hand connects.”

Justin Golightly - January 5, 2018

There’s an unofficial ‘Most Violent’ title going around the UFC, but it feels wrong to have that in contention when Rory MacDonald is in Bellator. One of the top welterweights in the world enjoys fighting so much, he even welcomes a defeat, as long as it is bloody and brutal. You have to have a very special brain to call what happened in the fight with Robbie Lawler one of the best moments of your life. That’s just how MacDonald is, he is a killer. It’s that type of mindset that the cerebral assassin is looking to release once again in the Bellator cage. This time though, it’s for a title. “Getting to beat someone up and to unleash what’s inside of me, that’s what I like. That’s what gets me up and excited. Look at what I did to Paul [Daley] and look at the fight [Douglas Lima] had with Paul. I do feel that Douglas is better on the ground, so when we get there I feel like I’m going to be able to showcase my found and pound more and my jiu-jitsu a lot more than I did against Paul. Where it was me just schooling Paul, I think it’s going to be more of a battle.”

Justin Golightly - November 28, 2017

After demolishing Japanese MMA veteran Shinya Aoki at ONE: Immortal Pursuit, Ben Askren rode his funky train into the sunset, retiring from MMA for good. …Or maybe not. Freshly-retired Askren took to Twitter to plant the seed of a possible return fight with Georges St-Pierre. If you think this opens the door to a bunch of other potential match-ups, you’re wrong. For Askren, it’s either the “best in the world” or he’s happy to move on to a new chapter outside of the cage. “I’ve never said I’m retired, period. I’ve said that I’m retired with the caveat that if I somehow get to fight to prove that I’m No. 1 in the world, I will take that opportunity. I’m not gonna fight to be No. 3 or 5 or 7 or anything else. Just to be No. 1, that’s it. It’s not really a money thing, it’s a pride thing. There’s this other guy who was a very famous welterweight named Georges St-Pierre who doesn’t seem to have a dance partner right now and doesn’t seem to want to fight Tyron [Woodley] or Robert Whittaker. So I figure, he doesn’t want to get hit hard, I don’t hit that hard. So we might as well just get in there and get after it.“If he needs a dance partner, I’m more than willing to do it. I’ll come to Montreal and fit the bill for him. We’ll fill out the Bell Centre.”

Tom Taylor - November 28, 2017

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi stand out as two of the best fighters currently competing under the Bellator MMA banner. Given that they’re now fighting just a weight class apart, there has ample discussion surrounding a potential fight between them. Speaking on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Mousasi gave his thoughts on MacDonald, and on a potential super-fight with him. Apparently, that’s a discussion that can wait for now.

Chris Taylor - October 20, 2017

Gegard Mousasi made his Bellator MMA debut this evening fighting veteran Alexander Shlemenko in the main event of Bellator 185. The top ranked middleweight, Mousasi, had a very solid opening round but was rocked by one overhand left from Alexander which resulted in his right eye swelling closed.

Justin Golightly - October 17, 2017

Rory MacDonald has moved on from the UFC and has set his sites on Bellator gold. In January, he’ll take on their welterweight champion Douglas Lima in January. Both fighters sat down and were asked questions ahead of their encounter about a wide variety of subjects. Asking fighters about what they’d do during a zombie apocalypse is a welcome change from the same questions they get every week. One MMA subject they talked about were which strikes they would make legal blows in the cage. “I think I would allow every elbow. Like, every type the way you throw. I think that would be a good thing. Because if you’re throwing like this or like this I don’t think it changes anything. So, elbows should be legal however you throw it — from up, down — I don’t think it changes anything.” — Douglas Lima to MMA Fighting. 

Chris Taylor - October 1, 2017

Rory MacDonald has expressed some disappointment following his move from the UFC to Bellator MMA. The former UFC welterweight title challenger, MacDonald, signed with Bellator in August of 2016 and made his promotional debut this past May in London.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2017

On January 20, Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima will attempt to defend his crown opposite former UFC star Rory MacDonald. While this might just be the toughest test of Lima’s already impressive career, he’s got a bold prediction for how it all goes down. “I’ve been in Bellator for a long time. At the end of the day it’s just a fight. I don’t care what he’s done. I don’t care where he’s been. He’s coming there to fight me. That’s what the important thing is for me,” Lima said on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “I’m going to finish this guy; I’m going to knock him out. That’s my goal for this fight. I’m going to put him away and show everybody that I’m here for a reason, that I’m champion for a reason. It doesn’t matter who it is. I don’t care what he’s done in the past. He’s gonna face me and he’s going down.”

Russell Ess - September 29, 2017

Former UFC welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre is set to make his return to the Octagon after being away from competition for nearly four years. “Rush” will be going up a weight class from the 170-pound welterweight limit up to the 185-pound middleweight division and take on current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping for his title.

Justin Golightly - September 27, 2017

Just a week ago, Bellator announced that recent UFC transplant Rory MacDonald would challenge Douglas Lima for the welterweight title early next year. A win would not only help MacDonald achieve something he was never able to in the UFC, but serve as the first step the journey he sees in his mind’s eye. It’s a quest for not just one gold belt, not even two, but three Bellator titles. “I’d go for three. I’d fight [Ryan] Bader. [Welterweight]’s gonna’ be my home. That’s where I fit. I’m not a massive guy. I’d be a small middleweight, it would be a joke to see me at light heavyweight, but I still think I beat them. I think they’re not getting too far ahead of themselves, but I’ve brought it up to [Bellator]. They know my intentions and stuff.”

Russell Ess - September 27, 2017

Over the weekend, Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima and former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald faced off for the first time ahead of their Bellator title fight. The welterweight title fight is set to take place on January 20 at The Forum in California. Lima was dressed in a suit while MacDonald opted for a more casual look wearing a black turtleneck, which the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs was usually seen wearing.

Tom Taylor - September 24, 2017

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Tom Taylor - September 20, 2017

When former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald joined the Bellator family in August of 2016, he was expected to get an immediate title shot. Instead, however, he was booked for a May 2017 scrap with British knockout artist Paul Daley. When MacDonald won this battle with Daley with a second-round submission, he seemed to erase any doubt that he deserved the next shot at Bellator welterweight king Douglas Lima. Unfortunately, he then went months without a fight offer, which caused him to grow frustrated with his new employers, and even begin discussing a possible super fight with former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler.

Tom Taylor - September 3, 2017

Back in July 0f 2015, Canadian welterweight contender Rory MacDonald and then UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler co-authored one of the greatest fights in MMA history. In the end, Lawler would win this bloody battle, putting his foe down with a fifth-round volley. In the opinion of MacDonald, however, there should be an asterisk attached to Lawler’s TKO victory. He believes the former champ was on performance enhancers at the time of their fight. MacDonald made this claim during a recent AMA on Reddit, responding to a question from user cczzrr.