By Mike Russell
One of Canadian MMA’s best kept secrets got an early birthday present this week.
CagePotato has confirmed with sources close to the situation that highly-touted Kingston, Ontario native Cory MacDonald signed with Bellator yesterday and will compete as a middleweight under the Viacom-owned promotion’s banner.
MacDonald (12-2), who turned 34 today, could see action as part of next season’s middleweight tournament.
Having competed primarily at 170 for the majority of his eight-year MMA career, at 6-foot MacDonald was one of the class’ largest competitors. He has been contemplating a move up in weight for a while due to a lack of opponents willing to face him north of the border. It now looks like the move won’t just be a temporary one and that 12-2 former welterweight, who is undefeated in his past seven bouts spanning back to 2007, will finally get his chance to make a name for himself internationally.
With Bellator’s recent migration into the Canadian market, MacDonald, who trains out of Victory Performance Centre in Ottawa and Kingston and spars regularly at Tristar in Montreal, could play a key role in helping market the Chicago-based organization in Ontario and other provinces where he has a fan presence including Quebec and the Maritimes.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/psycoc23)
According to the sources we spoke to, a date for Cory’s Bellator debut has yet to be set, but it could come as early as January.
When contacted for comment, MacDonald’s manager Anna Barone would neither confirm nor deny her client’s signing.