Tag: 24139

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory “Red King” MacDonald made his long awaited Bellator debut last night (May 19, 2017), scoring an impressive second round submission victory over British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley in the main event of Bellator 179.

There wasn’t too much tension between the two leading up to the bout, although Daley did question MacDonald’s ‘warrior mentality’. The “Red King”, however, feels as if he made Daly eat his words:

“I finished him,” MacDonald told MMAJunkie.com. “He’s the one that tapped out, so I guess, who’s the quitter now, right? This is mixed martial arts. When I see an opening I’m going to strike, whether it’s standing or on the ground. I kicked him in the head, I beat him up standing, I took him down, I beat him up there, and I choked him out. There’s really no area that I played it safe. I moved forward, I hunted him down, and I took him out.”

With the win under his belt, MacDonald earned a title shot against the winner of the upcoming June 24 title bout between champion Douglas Lima and newly signed Lorenz Larkin. At just 27 years of age, the Canadian feels as if he’s the ‘best in the world’ and he’s ready to prove that inside the Bellator cage:

“I think I’m the best in the world, and I think I made a statement tonight,” MacDonald said. “(Bellator welterweight champion Douglas) Lima had a pretty hard fight with Daley. I went out there, and I smoked him in every discipline. It was a message that I’m on another level, and these guys are going to have a lot of pain to deal with if they get in the cage with me.

“I’m going to destroy when I get in the cage. I’m not there to play games or pick my shots or win (on) points. I had a couple fights like that, but I’ve always had regrets leaving those fights. When I walk into those doors now I’m going to destroy you, and that’s it.”

Were you impressed with MacDonald’s performance last night and do you expect him to take over Bellator’s 170-pound division?

The post Rory MacDonald: I’m The Best In The World appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

After scoring a rampant knockout victory at Bellator 170 against Brennan Ward, UFC veteran Paul Daley called out Rory MacDonald. Having crossed over from the UFC himself, the Canadian prospect was yet to be linked to a debut fight. MacDonald’s UFC run was considerably longer than Daley’s, and he fought for the title against Robbie Lawler in his penultimate fight. ‘Semtex’ was fired after exploding with a sucker punch against Josh Koscheck.

Although ‘Red King’ wasn’t sacked, he didn’t leave on great terms. The UFC wouldn’t match Bellator MMA’s offer, and so one of the best welterweights in the division jumped ship. Now the two are on a collision course.

MacDonald vs. Daley

Confirmed by Bellator’s official Twitter page, Rory MacDonald will take on Paul Daley in the Bellator 179 main event:

BREAKING! Our return to London will be headlined by #PaulDaley vs @rory_macdonald May 19th at @ssearena! #Bellator179 @spike pic.twitter.com/gz31vNN0aF

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) February 9, 2017

Although coming off two losses, ‘The Canadian Psycho’ is still widely considered one of the best at 170 pounds. Before his run of bad fortune in the UFC, MacDonald had defeated Nate Diaz, BJ Penn, current champion Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia and Jake Ellenberger to name a few.

What a Fight!

Having lost a decision during Bellator’s last London trip, Daley will hope to get a W on home soil this time around. MacDonald is no walk in the park, though, and could make it two home defeats in a row on February 19th.

The post Paul Daley vs. Rory MacDonald Official For London Show appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.