All the pressure was on Rory MacDonald at UFC Fight Night 54 on Saturday. Fighting in his own backyard against a relatively unheralded opponent in Tarec Saffiedine, and with a title shot possibly on the line, the 25-year-old performed admirably, taking out his foe in the third round with a picture-perfect uppercut.
It was a mature performance from the young Canadian. He may not be quite as exciting as he was back in 2010, but he is arguably more effective. Is he ready for a title shot? It would be difficult to argue otherwise, and it seems to be what the UFC has in store for him.
Still, let’s take a look at MacDonald’s options for the near future, if you’ll indulge me.