Rory MacDonald was beaten, thrashed, bludgeoned, pounded, smashed and whatever other euphemism out there that can describe the carnage from UFC 189. A co-main event title fight against Robbie Lawler served as a one-way ticket to the hospital for the 25-year-old welterweight contender.
And he loved every second of it.
After throwing down with Lawler in one of the most exciting title fights in UFC history, MacDonald thanked his opponent on Twitter for what he deems “the best time” of his life. (Warning: The image may be disturbing to some):
If a bloodied face and broken bones is what MacDonald considers a good time, I’d hate to see what he calls a bad time. Thousands in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas stood on their feet cheering on both fighters in a back-and-forth slugfest. Chants of “USA” were replaced by chants of “Rory,” which then reverted back to chants of “USA.”
According to UFC President Dana White, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, MacDonald’s nose was broken in the first round, and he had trouble seeing and breathing throughout the fight.
Not only was his nose in shambles, but he was also fighting with a broken foot, according to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani after speaking with MacDonald’s head coach Firas Zahabi.
Lawler found a home for his left straight early in the fight, which is typically the desired punch for a southpaw fighter against an orthodox opponent. MacDonald appeared completely baffled after having his jab nullified by Lawler’s southpaw tactics the first time the two met back at UFC 167 nearly two years ago.
But MacDonald was better prepared in the second outing. He didn’t lean so heavily on the jab and found more success in the open guard fight leading with a straight punch. However, Lawler did significantly more damage early in the fight, which left MacDonald’s face looking like a busted up can of red paint.
MacDonald turned the tide of the fight in the third round with a head kick that put Lawler on wobbly legs. The UFC champ’s spotless face suddenly had the markings of a man who had been in a dog fight. MacDonald’s rally continued all the way into the fifth round, where he got cracked in the nose with a straight left hand that ended his title bid.
According to a report from Fox Sports, MacDonald would have won a decision on the scorecards if he made it out of the fifth round.
MMAJunkie.com captured a brutal GIF (NSFW: Video contains graphic images) from the ending of the UFC welterweight title fight. It encapsulated all of the sacrifice that goes into being a fighter.
MacDonald gave everything he had until there was literally nothing left to give.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com