Rory MacDonald’s rise to title contention has been something special to watch.
When the Firas Zahabi-trained fighter emerged onto the UFC scene back in 2010, he did so with buzz and excitement surrounding him. At just 20 years old, and working alongside welterweight king Georges St-Pierre, the expectation for the British Columbia native to become the next big thing in the 170-pound weight class was as high as it’s been for any prospect to come along in recent memory.
Granted, there would be setbacks as he ascended the ranks of the welterweight fold, but the few missteps he suffered paled in comparison to the nights when his full potential shone through. It didn’t take long to establish MacDonald is the real deal, and with “GSP” retired and Johny Hendricks currently sitting atop the division, timing and circumstances have aligned for “Ares” to finally make his run at UFC gold.
The 25-year-old Tristar fighter’s quest for a championship opportunity will continue this Saturday night as he steps into the Octagon to face Tarec Saffiedine at Fight Night 54 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “Sponge” is the last man to hold the Strikeforce welterweight title and has notched a five-fight winning streak where he’s quietly become one of the top 170-pound fighters in the world.
Yet, while the large scope of the MMA community may have failed to keep an eye on the Belgian striker’s rise through the rankings, MacDonald is certainly aware of the skills Saffiedine possesses.
“I’m excited about the fight,” MacDonald told Bleacher Report. “It’s my first headlining spot for the UFC and it’s here in Canada. I couldn’t be more excited about it.
“I know [Saffiedine] is good and I’m prepared for a hard fight against him. I think it’s going to be a dynamic fight and it could go anywhere. It is going to be a busy fight, and we are going to be working hard for those 25 minutes.”
In addition to having the strength of a Canadian crowd behind him on Saturday night, MacDonald will also bring a solid amount of momentum into the tilt. The Montreal-based fighter has won seven his last eight showings, including back-to-back victories in his two most recent outings. In those bouts, the prospect-turned-contender defeated former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia and powerhouse Tyron Woodley, respectively.
While MacDonald rebounded from a rough opening round only to surge back and dominate against Maia at UFC 170 back in February, he ran the proverbial table against the former Mizzou wrestling standout when they squared off four months later at UFC 174 in Vancouver. MacDonald’s performance in that fight was perhaps the best showing of his career, and he’ll be looking to put on another stellar showing when he mixes it up with Saffiedine at Fight Night 54.
“It was a good fight,” MacDonald recalled of his bout against Woodley. “I was genuinely happy with how that fight went. He was a tough competitor and I did what I wanted to do in there. I want to have great performances. To have really fun fights against top level fighters; there is a thrill in that.”
And when it comes to the title shot he’s been within striking distance of for the past year, MacDonald is confident he’ll get there. Stone cold in his assessment of the situation..but confident nonetheless.
“I would hope not,” MacDonald answered in regard to the possibility of a victory over Saffiedine not earning him a title shot. “I really don’t see anyone else in this division that would skip the line on me.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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