Rory MacDonald makes his return after a lengthy lay off in the UFC 145 co-main event against talented striker, Che Mills.
MacDonald has been groomed as the future of the welterweight division since his arrival to the UFC. The lone blemish on MacDonald’s record was his bout against the now interim champion, Carlos Condit.
Even in the loss MacDonald still impressed through the first two rounds as he got the better of Condit in the striking department and secured enough points with takedowns to where he was only seconds away from a decision victory.
The Canadian prospect would shine again against Nate Diaz. MacDonald repeatedly suplexed the jiu-jitsu specialist and tossed him around like a child’s play thing. The win over Diaz got MacDonald back on the right track and he continued that roll against Mike Pyle.
Now MacDonald gets to turn the tables and become the UFC veteran who welcomes the new kid on the block Mills.
A win for MacDonald would continue his rise towards a welterweight title shot. Mills isn’t necessarily a big name in North America, but a convincing win via KO or submission would no doubt further impress Dana White and Joe Silva.
By showing he can handle the pressure of being the favorite instead of the underdog, MacDonald will have proved he’s ready to be considered “in the mix.”
While MacDonald controls his destiny in Atlanta, his fate will ultimately be decided by who wins between Condit and Georges St-Pierre when the champion returns from injury.
Training out of the same camp as GSP, MacDonald would be forced to make a tough choice as to whether to fight a teammate, as the young Canadian could be thrust into the title picture if his popularity continues to rise.
MacDonald seems to have a good head on his shoulders and considers a title shot to be years into his future, but if he can pull off another impressive finish at UFC 145 a title shot may be closer than he thinks.
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