Rory MacDonald was never completely the same after fighting UFC rival Robbie Lawler.
Almost a decade removed from their UFC Hall of Fame fight, the world is the bloody scenes of Lawler vs. MacDonald 2 on UFC 189 in 2015 not yet forgotten.
When Weltergegebel broke champion Robbie Lawler MacDonald's nose in round 2 of their five -round fight, but MacDonald would not leave it while he tore Lawler's lip and almost ended the fight in round 3.
Lawler, one of the most violent hunters in the MMA history, made MacDonald for a TKO interruption in the final round to defend his title.
Lawler was then 33 and MacDonald was 25 for his only UFC title fight. Once considered as a super prospect to continue the torch of Great Georges St-Pierre of all time, the UFC career of the Canadian was demolished after this war of all time.
Rory MacDonald left the UFC after a new defeat against Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson and he experienced more losses than victories in the PFL and Bellator.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Robbie Lawler says that Rory MacDonald's sacrifice probably took his toll
Once 18-2 as a pro with victories over Tyron Woodley, BJ Penn and Nate Diaz, MacDonald of 2015 went 5-8-1.
“You gave everything you had,” said former two -part champion Henry Cejudo about the debilitating battle of Macdonald and Lawler on UFC 189.
“I think that has taken a little Rory, even though he gave everything – I don't feel that he was coming back. What do you think it was about that fight that almost both lives changed? Many people consider this the most cruel fight in UFC's history,” added Cejudo.
“I can't speak for him, but you give it all,” Lawler explained.
“Your training camp, the time you strike, the tactics that those guys at Tristar have of course done time and effort in small tricks and details to get the job done.
“At a certain point you take those things away and it is a fight. And that is where it came at the end, and his body was done. He probably drank a whole group of blood because his nose was bleeding.
“It was just definitely a cruel fight and he stuck so much time in and not to win …
“It can take a toll,” Lawler said about MacDonald.
Rory MacDonald says that Jack della Maddalena would have been an 'interesting fight'
Discount in his war against Robbie Lawler, we have never really seen Rory MacDonald really reach his full potential. The former Bellator champion retired at the age of 33 and has not fought since 2022.
MacDonald was recently asked who he would like to fight at the UFC at the moment, whether he was in his prime.
His answer? UFC 315 Headliner Jack della Maddalena, who is fighting this Saturday against Belal Muhammad for the Welterweight title.
“I really liked JDM as a good weight,” MacDonald told Tim Welch.
“He's super. I love his style. I think that would have been an interesting fight,” said the retired hunter.
Della Maddalena is 17-2 as a pro, a talented boxer with a creepy comparable record as MacDonald's at the time of his first title fight.
While Rory MacDonald may have missed his Prime and this new wave of Welterweights, 'Red King' went 9-4 in the Octagon in general and beat the will of Paul Daley and Douglas Lima during his Bellator-Title run, years after he is his All vs. Robbie Lawler had given.