Rory MacDonald entered his fight against Che Mills as the favorite and didn’t falter, picking up the victory at UFC 145 to improve his career MMA record to 13-1. It’s his third straight win since a loss to Carlos Condit in 2010.
MacDonald has always been a talented fighter with the ability to adapt to any style, but injuries have kept him from rising the ranks as quickly as he likely hoped. He has entered the Octagon just five times since joining the UFC more than two years ago.
Due to the sport’s recent popularity boost, the level of competition has increased dramatically over the past couple years. So, when somebody spends time on the sidelines, it gives other fighters a chance to steal the spotlight.
That said, MacDonald once again proved how dominant he can be when healthy by taking out Mills.
The English star was on a five-match winning streak of his own heading into the bout, but couldn’t stop a rejuvenated MacDonald.
It’s a major setback for Mills. He earned knockout of the night honors for his destruction of Chris Cope in his first UFC fight, but wasn’t able to back it up. That makes his next match crucial in order to get things back on track.
On the flip side, it’s another step forward for MacDonald. As long as he doesn’t wake up with any lingering injuries, he should attempt to start fighting a more aggressive schedule with hopes of continuing his move up the welterweight division.
The Canadian has struggled to maintain any momentum, but tonight’s victory might finally be the one that gets him rolling. He has enough ability to make it happen, now he just needs to put everything together and avoid the injury bug.
Keep an eye out for MacDonald. He’s a star in the making.
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