Rory MacDonald was attempting to go for history in this fight as the Bellator welterweight champion went for an accomplishment that no fighter in the history of the Viacom-owned promotion.
The former UFC star challenged Gegard Mousasi for the middleweight strap, which meant he had the chance to become the first fighter ever in Bellator to hold two titles in two different weight classes.
As seen in the main event of Bellator 206 that went down on Saturday night (September 29, 2018) at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on their new streaming service home, DAZN, Mousasi scored a TKO win in the second round to retain his middleweight title over MacDonald.
It’s a tactical affair early but both men are active in the first round. Mousasi lands a nice right to the face a minute in but it’s almost all Mousasi in the first, using a great jab and low kicks. The second round was a completely different story as once MacDonald attempted to roll into a leg lock or takedown, this is when he realized his mistake and ultimate downfall as Mousasi lands several punches from on top, forcing “Red King” to pull guard. Mousasi was landing quite a bit of hard punches and MacDonald’s nose and mouth are pouring blood. After several strikes, the referee stepped in to stop this fight and end the hopes and dreams of MacDonald.
MacDonald became a big name while fighting inside of the Octagon under the UFC banner. Once he made the jump to the Viacom-owned promotion, he further showcased his skills. He won the Bellator welterweight title by scoring a unanimous decision win over Douglas Lima at Bellator 192 back in January. It has also been revealed that MacDonald will take part in the Bellator welterweight grand prix tournament as he takes on Jon Fitch. This fight is being potentially targeted for February.
Mousasi’s contract with the UFC ran out after his controversial UFC 208 win over Chris Weidman. This is when he decided to test out the free agent market and signed with the Viacom-owned promotion. A fun fact about his career is that Mousasi was Bellator MMA President Scott Coker’s light heavyweight champion for a while under the Strikeforce banner.
Heading into this fight, Mousasi was riding an impressive six fight win streak with victories of the likes of Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Uriah Hall, and Thiago Santos. He also won his promotional debut with Bellator by picking up a win over Alexander Shlemenko by decision at Bellator 185. He is coming off a win over Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 200 by scoring score a TKO victory in just 3:25 of the very first round.
Gegard Mousasi def. Rory MacDonald via TKO (punches) at 3:23 of R2
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