HE MIGHT COME across as a placid and softly-spoken kind of guy, but don’t be fooled by Canadian mixed martial arts star Rory MacDonald.
The 25-year-old will be aiming to emulate legendary Tristar team-mate Georges St Pierre in Las Vegas on 11 July, when he fights defending UFC welterweight world champion Robbie Lawler in the co-main event at UFC 189, which will be headlined by the meeting of Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.
It’ll be a rematch of his November 2013 bout against Lawler, which MacDonald lost on the judges’ scorecards via a split decision. However, if MacDonald had his way, there wouldn’t be any need for judges.
With the title on the line this time, MacDonald is pleased that he’ll have five rounds to overcome Lawler instead of three. In fact, the challenger would like to go back to the early — no-holds-barred — days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, when time limits didn’t exist and the rules inside the octagon weren’t quite as strict as they are now.
MacDonald, a Tristar team-mate of Donegal’s Joseph Duffy, has no problem with MMA’s current unified rules, which are followed by the majority of reputable organisations like the UFC. However, he suggested some adjustments while appearing as a guest on The Fight Network.
“I always enjoy longer fights,” MacDonald said. “I don’t like going to a decision. Fighting guys at this high a level, you need more time than 15 minutes. I always appreciate staying in the cage a bit longer.”
MacDonald added: “I’m a purist kind of guy. I like knees to the head on the ground, kicks to the head on the ground, headbutts… I think those are all good tools as human body weapons. I think those are important.”
We’re big fans of Rory MacDonald, but with MMA already fighting an uphill battle for mainstream acceptance, he might need to look elsewhere for that sort of carry-on.
