Neiman Gracie is confident he will submit Rory MacDonald, but offered a tongue-and-cheek response on the particular submission.
Neiman Gracie has an ambitious outcome for his Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix semi-final fight with divisional champion Rory MacDonald.
Gracie, 30, spoke with Bloody Elbow ahead of his main event title fight at Bellator 222. Gracie (9-0) has found a lot of success taking his opponents’ backs, winning three fights via rear-naked choke and an additional two via neck-crank. Another favorite weapon in his arsenal is the armbar — the first submission he mastered and with which he won his first-ever jiu-jitsu competition at age 9 and professional MMA fight in 2013.
When asked the age-old cliche question of “how do you predict this fight will end,” Gracie conjured two possibilities. “I see myself winning by submission the fourth round,” he asserted. “Maybe a rear-naked choke or maybe a flying armbar.”
MacDonald was taken down multiple times by Jon Fitch in the Canadian’s most recent fight at Bellator 220. That match ended in a majority draw, but Gracie noticed a number of holes he’ll look to exploit en route to that predicted fourth-round.
“I saw a couple,” Gracie said. “The difference between Jon Fitch and I is if I’m able to get Rory down, the way he did, I’ll go for finishes on the ground. When Fitch gets people on the ground, he likes to hold on and wait for the time to pass.”
Many question MacDonald’s motivation heading into Bellator 222. Following his fight with Fitch, MacDonald spoke candidly about how his newly renewed faith and will to fight are at odds. “To tell the truth, I saw that he had a couple doubts on his mind, but I expect to fight the best Rory MacDonald of all-time,” Gracie assured. “I think that maybe he’ll come with more will to fight and show he is still here. I think he’s more dangerous in this fight.”
Gracie also touched on how one of his other athletic passions have translated to MMA. “I’ve been surfing since I started training,” he shared. “It has helped me so much with fighting. Especially for controlling my fears and my body when I’m exhausted.”
MacDonald defends his Bellator welterweight title in the Grand Prix semi-finals at Bellator 222 on Saturday, June 14. The event takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and boasts a co-main event clash between Lyoto Machida and Chael Sonnen. The winner of Macdonald vs. Gracie will meet Douglas Lima in the Grand Prix finals.