The final quarterfinal of the Bellator welterweight tournament also doubles as a title defense for Rory MacDonald.
After a failed attempt to become a two-division champion, Bellator MMA welterweight king Rory MacDonald is returning to the 170 lbs division for the first defense of his title.
It’s been long known that MacDonald would take on Jon Fitch in what doubles as the last of the four Bellator welterweight grand prix quarterfinal matchups, but now we have a date and venue known. MMA Fighting reported on Wednesday that MacDonald vs. Fitch will happen on April 27th at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
MacDonald (20-5) last competed in September, losing a very one-sided bout to middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, who stopped him with strikes in the second-round of their Bellator 206 encounter. The Canadian did capture the welterweight crown earlier against Douglas Lima last January, winning a grueling decision. He’s regarded as one of the best welterweights in the world and is best known for his classic five-round war with Robbie Lawler at UFC 189, which saw Lawler get a fifth-round TKO while down on the scorecards.
Fitch (31-7-1-1 NC) made his Bellator debut last May, winning a comfortable unanimous decision over Paul Daley. The former UFC title challenger has won his last five fights, including winning and defending the World Series of Fighting welterweight title. Fitch hasn’t lost since a kneebar defeat vs. Rousimar Palhares in 2014, after which he served a suspension for a failed drug test.
MacDonald vs. Fitch would stream exclusively on DAZN, as the streaming service has full rights to air all of the welterweight tournament contests. The winner of this bout would take on Neiman Gracie in the semifinals.