Rory MacDonald opens up about Bellator’s welterweight division
On Sept. 29, Rory MacDonald will have the chance to become a two-weight champion in Bellator. The current welterweight title holder will be taking on the reigning Bellator middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi for his 185-pound strap.
Interestingly, win or lose against Mousasi, MacDonald will be participating in Bellator’s welterweight Grand Prix. With the Grand Prix, the Canadian will be putting his belt on the line in every fight that he participates in, thus adding an interesting wrinkle to the tournament.
While both the UFC’s and Bellator’s welterweight division’s are stacked, MacDonald offered a rather interesting take on it the two respective landscapes. Given MacDonald had been a top contender in the UFC and is now a Bellator champ, he knows what he is talking about.
“I think they’re competing very well,” MacDonald said when asked to compare the welterweight divisions in the UFC and Bellator on a media call to promote his fight with Mousasi. “I like what Bellator’s doing with the management of it better. I think we have a more exciting division especially with the way they’re doing tournaments. I just think they’re managing it better, their talent. They’re giving us better opportunities.”
Giving the fighters a better opportunity is something many Bellator fighters have preached.
While many fans stick to watching the UFC because they have more talent, the gap is starting to close. While that may be a reason for the loss in views for the UFC, MacDonald knows another reason why.
“Obviously, UFC has great talent, but the matchups and the way they’re managing it, I don’t find it very intriguing and I find the fans are feeling the same way about it,” the Welterweight champion added.
Some may agree with MacDonald, while others will share a different opinion. There is no question that Bellator is starting to become a serious competitor for the UFC. Scott Coker and company are signing top UFC contenders and making it fun to watch with their tournament style.
While Rory MacDonald thinks Coker is doing a better job of managing the matchups, either way, he will have a tough fight on Sept. 29 against Mousasi.
Do you agree with MacDonald’s comments?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/19/2018.
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Rory MacDonald
