Rory " Red King " leaves Bellator for PFL

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Hong Kong Phooey

Spreading The Coronavirus one Corona at a Time
Feb 12, 2015
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Rory MacDonald has ended his free agency by signing an exclusive contract with the Professional Fighters League.

News of the move was first reported by the PFL’s broadcast partner at ESPN as MacDonald leaves Bellator MMA where he was the former welterweight champion and one-time middleweight title contender.

It’s a surprising move for the 30-year-old Canadian, who fought out his contract with Bellator in October when he lost a unanimous decision to Douglas Lima in the finals of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix.

Even after that loss, MacDonald still seemed confident he would return to Bellator where he had fought six times over the past two years after joining the Viacom-owned promotion following a lengthy stint with the UFC.

Now MacDonald will join the PFL where he will undoubtedly become a prohibitive favorite in the welterweight division when season 3 starts in 2020.

MacDonald is currently 21-6-1 in his career including notable wins over Paul Daley, Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia.

He jumps into a welterweight division that will see former UFC fighter David Michaud take on Ray Cooper in the current season finals on Dec. 31 with the winner taking home the $1 million grand prize.

Rory MacDonald ‘surprised’ Bellator didn’t make an offer for him to stay, ‘excited’ for future with PFL
 
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kneeblock

Drapetomaniac
Apr 18, 2015
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Can't help but wonder how Rory's career might have gone if he'd started his career in a PFL like org and worked his way to Bellator and was only just now signing in the UFC.
 

Hong Kong Phooey

Spreading The Coronavirus one Corona at a Time
Feb 12, 2015
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He signed with UFC. His first fight was with Joker. Jokers from OC Cali. We thought Rory might get killed. LOL were we wrong.
 

Splinty

Shake 'em off
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Dec 31, 2014
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Can't help but wonder how Rory's career might have gone if he'd started his career in a PFL like org and worked his way to Bellator and was only just now signing in the UFC.

Came here with exact same thought.
Also, I can't fully decide if this is normal career path for someone that fought so early (he did a 6 year UFC run which is a good length for many) and is running the smaller circuit out of their prime... or if this represents a failure to mentor and groom a young star to their peak skill and physicality at that same critical period.
 

BenAskrensStrikingcoach

Formerly formulating formally
Jan 30, 2015
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Came here with exact same thought.
Also, I can't fully decide if this is normal career path for someone that fought so early (he did a 6 year UFC run which is a good length for many) and is running the smaller circuit out of their prime... or if this represents a failure to mentor and groom a young star to their peak skill and physicality at that same critical period.
It is a suprise move in my opinion anyway, PFL will be a good chance to make some money though. After all the wars Rory has been in he can do what ever he wants as far as I'm concerned.

You're right though, would be interesting to see what shape he'd be in now if he had started in a smaller org rather than jumping straught from regional to the UFC cage.

Crazy to think he is only 30, fought Condit 9 years ago in only his 2nd UFC fight and nearly had him too.
 

sparkuri

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Well then, looks like he's on his way back to the UFC.
Good timing with their WW division being weaker than times past, his jab will find success there.
If Rory can weather the Ray Cooper storm.
 

MMAHAWK

Real Gs come from California.America Muthafucker
Feb 5, 2015
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Can't help but wonder how Rory's career might have gone if he'd started his career in a PFL like org and worked his way to Bellator and was only just now signing in the UFC.
He’d lose to a top 7 guy and UFC fans would call him a bum that made his name in the minors
 

sparkuri

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Jan 16, 2015
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Can't help but wonder how Rory's career might have gone if he'd started his career in a PFL like org and worked his way to Bellator and was only just now signing in the UFC.
What was UFC's feeder league then?
 

kneeblock

Drapetomaniac
Apr 18, 2015
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What was UFC's feeder league then?
I guess WEC was the direct feeder league back then, but Strikeforce was also around as a rival that at least took time to build its fighters up. Due to his association with GSP, Rory had an in to bigger money and he took it. I don't blame him or his management really, but I just feel like his overall earnings and career might have been better in the end. Who knows though, he's so young he could have an incredible Renaissance in a year or two.
 

sparkuri

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I guess WEC was the direct feeder league back then, but Strikeforce was also around as a rival that at least took time to build its fighters up. Due to his association with GSP, Rory had an in to bigger money and he took it. I don't blame him or his management really, but I just feel like his overall earnings and career might have been better in the end. Who knows though, he's so young he could have an incredible Renaissance in a year or two.
I don't feel like he was brought around too fast.
He was ranked #1 and fought fights of the year with the champ. In Strikeforce he would've faced Robbie anyway.
I don't know why it's such a prevalent theory with Rory that he was "rushed"(haha), but it does seem popular.
He was clearly good enough to hang or be better than 95% of Welterweights.
Maybe because of his personality combined with his youth; but to me the maturity was there.
I think maybe the only thing that should've been avoided was the people around him setting expectations so high to the media.
That probably had a greater expectation on his psyche than anything else.
Honestly I never saw what everyone else was seeing with Rory.
I never saw the future unbeatable dynamo many seemed to.

That said, this is huge news. I'm sure he could be UFC WW champ tomorrow given its current roster.
 

KWingJitsu

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Nov 15, 2015
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Very interesting and surprising.
Has anyone ever watched a PFL fight? Lol.
 

nuraknu

savage
Jul 20, 2016
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Well then, looks like he's on his way back to the UFC.
Good timing with their WW division being weaker than times past, his jab will find success there.
If Rory can weather the Ray Cooper storm.
First thought when I saw the news was that Rory might finish his career getting knocked out by RC3, or getting his nose crushed again. Definitely not a guaranteed win for anyone. Hope he does well though, and at least has some fun.
 
T

The Big Guy

Guest
He's looking for a tournament he can win.

Also he's ducking colby
 

kneeblock

Drapetomaniac
Apr 18, 2015
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I don't feel like he was brought around too fast.
He was ranked #1 and fought fights of the year with the champ. In Strikeforce he would've faced Robbie anyway.
I don't know why it's such a prevalent theory with Rory that he was "rushed"(haha), but it does seem popular.
He was clearly good enough to hang or be better than 95% of Welterweights.
Maybe because of his personality combined with his youth; but to me the maturity was there.
I think maybe the only thing that should've been avoided was the people around him setting expectations so high to the media.
That probably had a greater expectation on his psyche than anything else.
Honestly I never saw what everyone else was seeing with Rory.
I never saw the future unbeatable dynamo many seemed to.

That said, this is huge news. I'm sure he could be UFC WW champ tomorrow given its current roster.
Yeah you're probably right. I likely have BJJ bias because I think anyone who beats BJ and Maia the way he did is elite in my matburned brain even though he's far from the only one to do so. Rory may have had as good a career as he could ever have had. If he can't beat guys like Lima and Stephen Thompson now, he pretty much would've been stuck. I would've enjoyed he and Usman going at it though he probably would've lost. He definitely would've mauled Colby. Masvidal would've been a fun one.
 

SongExotic2

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Jan 16, 2015
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Came here with exact same thought.
Also, I can't fully decide if this is normal career path for someone that fought so early (he did a 6 year UFC run which is a good length for many) and is running the smaller circuit out of their prime... or if this represents a failure to mentor and groom a young star to their peak skill and physicality at that same critical period.
Them young starters always seem to fall off. Bj Penn. Joe daddy. Roger Huerta, Michael mCgusto, Jon Hathaway, Vitor for a period, Martin kampmann, Pablo Garza, Diego Sanchez.

All better at the start of thier mainstream careers