It’s not typical for a fighter to be described almost perfectly by a slightly adjusted line from A Christmas Story, but Rory MacDonald works in blood how many artists might work in oils or clay. It is his true medium. At only 27 years old, MacDonald has found a new beginning in Bellator after years in the UFC, now he’s set to fight the ridiculously hard-hitting Paul Daley as a welcome to Spike TV. As expected, the stakes are high — the winner gets a shot at the Bellator welterweight title.
But, there are various storylines around MacDonald. He’s a member of the famed Tristar gym, home to Georges St-Pierre, he’s the #2 welterweight in the world, and a man who left the UFC on the top of his game to join the competition while coming off two losses in a row. The first back to back losses of his career. There’s a lot to talk about.
So ahead of his latest work, we asked MacDonald about his return to the cage, what it’s like being one-half of the greatest fight of all-time, and his thoughts on the logjam his teammate GSP has created in the UFC middleweight division.
Things have been really respectful between you and Paul Daley, and fans know that this is a great matchup, but does that prove that you don’t really need a bunch of shit talk in order to build a fight?
I think people like to create drama and interest, I think there’s always going to be that dynamic when it comes to combat sports. It’s just that I’m not very good at it. I’ve fought some guys that have done it to me, and I’ve had my things to say back, but I’m never the person to initiate to talk badly about my opponent. I respect my opponent, I need my opponents to do what I do. That’s my outlook on it.
But at the same time, you’ve both said that this is going to be a war, a bloody war of attrition. How does that make you feel saying that stuff after a year away, knowing that you’re going to be walking into this battle?
Paul’s a hard-nosed guy, he’s always in a fight no matter how badly you hurt him. I’ve been training hard and looking to go and have complete domination, and bloody him up. But I’m a hard-nosed guy myself, it’s going to be a push both ways.
Yet you’re so soft-spoken. Can you explain what goes on in your head? Do you just flip a switch and you’re ready to destroy another human being?
I think humility is something I try to carry with myself. I don’t necessarily think it’s a good thing to lose sight of who and what you are and where you came from, and I try to stay in tune with that. At the end of the day, I can only be myself when someone asks me a question. I don’t care enough to put on a show, the energy or the attitude for it. I’m here being myself and doing what I love and competing in mixed martial arts.
When you say you don’t care enough, do you mean as far as the promotion?
Just to be someone I’m not. To swear and talk badly about each other and get a lot of hype going, I just don’t care enough. I know that there’s going to be another opponent, and I have always proven myself in the cage and that’s what’s given me the name I have today.
Are you starting to get antsy to get back in the cage?
It was hard for me, it was hard couple layoffs that I’ve had and it forced me to think within and see the changes I needed to make. It is a blessing in disguise and I’ve taken it as that but it has been hard, it has tested my patience and my mind and all that, my discipline to what I’m doing, and thankfully I love this sport more than ever and I’m ready to go and put on a show.
Your contract negotiations with the UFC and Bellator were divisive it seemed. Are you fighting for the love or because you’re also in a unique position to make a lot of money?
Both. I’m in a very unique situation where I fought for what I believe I was worth, and I went out and did it. That doesn’t mean because I fought in that sense, to get what I deserve when I compete, that I’ve lost any passion for this game.
Are you looking to have more individual big-name fights? Or are you more interested in winning and defending the Bellator belt?
I’m looking for the biggest fights against the biggest stars in Bellator.
You mentioned taking on Chael Sonnen at “gangsterweight,” are there any other gangsterweight fights that you want? Would you consider Fedor?
Yeah, absolutely. Any of those legendary guys that carry a big name. I’m not sure if they would want to compete against a young, strong guy. I think they’re comfortable fighting the legendary guys, which I understand and respect. But absolutely, if there was an opportunity to put on a huge show that the fans would really come out to see then I would be all for it.
ESPN named your second fight with Robbie Lawler the best fight of all time. Does it make you wince to hear that considering you came out on the losing end, even though many people say that there were no losers in that fight?
Yeah, it sucks. My career highlight to people is a loss for me, so that always sucks. But I know I have many more amazing opportunities ahead of me, and there’ll be more to come.
With that said, pundits and talking heads are always saying “That fight took years off their career, years off their life,” what do you have to say about that?
Obviously those kinds of fights you don’t want to be in your whole career, but some guys actually are like that. Guys like Wanderlei Silva, they’re still fighting. I haven’t had too many of those, I think I’ve received a couple beatings, I got one from Carlos and one by Robbie that was close. Besides that, I’ve been pretty much on top. I really feel that I have a lot of miles left on me.
Going back to Paul Daley, how do you balance wanting to test yourself on the feet with the knowledge that taking him down is going to be the smarter, albeit less fan-friendly way to win?
I think my style on the ground is fan-friendly. In the past, people have been very excited when they see me on top of someone because the damage that I could deliver, and the exciting pace that I keep in the ground fighting. I’m looking to go forward in every aspect of mixed martial arts, bring the fight to Paul.
How has the sponsorship market been treating you since you’ve gone to Bellator?
To be honest, I haven’t seen the numbers that I’d like. I’m keeping a couple sponsors rather than picking up 10 very small sponsors. I’m trying to stick with the big names and keep it clean. There hasn’t been the amount that I was hoping for from a lot of these sponsors, it’s been pretty low numbers. I’m not too interested in scattering 40 patches all over me for very small amounts of money. I think it looks a little better when it’s cleaner with professional sponsors.
Not unlike the Reebok idea? Hopefully, you’re making more money than what they were offering.
It’s not the Reebok idea, I’m not trying to only stick with one company or anything like that, I’m just trying to stick with professional companies that are loyal to me and appreciate what I bring to the table and are willing to pay me for it.
Are there other free agents or soon to be free agents that you want Bellator to go after? And do you have the kind of clout to say “You really should be getting that fighter, because I want to take them on”?
That’s not my job, I know Scott and Rich and everyone at Bellator are doing an excellent job, they have the deep pockets to go and fight for anyone who they are really interested in. They know who the marquee guys are, they’re not stupid by any means in this game. They know exactly what they’re doing and they’re very good at it, so I put a lot of trust in my promoter to get the great competition for me.
People joke about the “Serial Killer Rory MacDonald” persona. How do you feel about that when people consider you almost like the weird guy in MMA?
It’s me, I guess, that’s who I am. I’m kind of an awkward, shy, quiet, to myself kind of person. Even in my everyday life. I guess people have noticed that about me, and add a little character. Because when I do fight I fight hard and I mean it, I’m not in it half-assed. My outside of the cage personality is obviously a little bit tamer.
Why do you enjoy fighting so much? What made you get the bug?
I think it’s just from the first time I started doing martial arts something clicked with me, it was something I enjoyed to do. I enjoy the training, I love the fact I’m getting better as a fighter. I thought that was really important to me in my life was to be able to be a strong fighter. I always dreamed about being a strong man, or a tough man, things like that. It clicked with me, I guess. My personality.
Do you feel like you’re almost compelled to fight, like an artist?
It is an art because you train these things over and over again, and you go with it and you perform it so absolutely. But this is a very dangerous art to be doing, that’s for sure.
There’s that famous picture that you put on Twitter of you heading into the fifth round against Robbie Lawler and you have almost a blank look on your face as blood is pouring from your wounds. Do you remember what you were thinking at that moment?
https://twitter.com/rory_macdonald/status/620314709690990596
I remember being completely exhausted, knowing that I had to go out and finish this fight. Stay in this fight. I was pretty much in survival mode at that time, I was breathing so much blood into my lungs I was completely beat up, my body was fatigued, and all the lactic acid was running through my body. I really just wanted to lay down. Midway through the fifth, that’s what ended up happening. I couldn’t go on anymore. I had to just take a knee and try to fight off the back, but the ref stopped it there.
How long did it take you to recover from that fight? Before you could walk into a room and people aren’t questioning if you were in a violent car crash?
I think a few weeks.
https://twitter.com/rory_macdonald/status/620276950766981121
The elephant in the room question: What do you think about GSP at 185?
I think he’ll do fine fighting at Bisping. He’s not a massive 185er, but he is a bigger man than Georges. But Georges is a very strong and athletic person, I think he could do just fine.
The rumor is that GSP is signed on to go after three belts. Middleweight, back to welterweight, and then possibly lightweight. Do you think that is realistic?
It’s a big goal but if there’s anybody that could do it it’s Georges.
What are your thoughts on him coming in and all of the complaints of the division being held up?a Would you do that if you had the opportunity to?
Yeah, it’s been a bit of a pain in the ass for those guys. It seems really unfair that there are so many guys waiting in the wings for their fight. It sucks. I really don’t know what to say about that except number one contender fights, it’s a very tough thing to manage that the promoter has to deal with.
I was looking at your Twitter account, you’re not super active but I noticed a theme, are you as dismayed with American politics as most people?
Yeah, I think the world is crazy as ever. It’s definitely an interesting topic to stay in tune with now and again. I’m not consumed with it because I think I would just go crazy with everything that’s going on in the world, but I definitely try to stay in the loop of what is being said, and what is not being said in the mainstream media. I try to have a realistic view of what’s going on in the world and see what’s really happening. That’s hard because I feel like there’s a lot of information that is withheld from the public that the elites of the world are in control of.
