Rory Macdonald Retires From MMA
Rory Macdonald announced his retirement from MMA following his most recent PFL loss to Dilano Taylor.
Macdonald was originally slated to fight undefeated Russian prospect Magomed Umalatov at the PFL Semi-Finals. His opponent would be forced to withdraw due to visa issues. The call was made to Dilano Taylor to step in on a week's notice for a chance to earn a place in the finale, and he made the most of it. He finished Macdonald in the first round via TKO, dropping him and landing ground and pound after. Fans did not expect this as Taylor was a late notice replacement.
Despite his recent struggles, Rory is heralded as MMA Royalty for his days in Bellator and the UFC. He holds wins over Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, Demian Maia, and BJ Penn in the UFC. His fighting style was reminiscent of the great Georges St-Pierre and many called him the 2nd coming of the legend as he was his pupil. He challenged for a UFC title against Robbie Lawler and gave us one of the greatest fights of all time. Rory would lose by TKO in the 5th round but was ahead on all 3 scorecards.
He would only fight once more in the UFC before making his way to Bellator where he saw mixed results against the elite. He captured the title but his overall record with the promotion was 3-2-1. He then moved on to the PFL where he has now lost 4 out of his last 5. He chose to retire after his most recent loss and is on to new beginnings.
His wife gave one last message to the fans via her Instagram.
"So many emotions tonight. I ask that you be kind with your words. It's been a wonderful journey to watch this man fight. Rory has hung up the gloves and (is) very much at peace with it. Thank you." - Olivia Macdonald via Instagram
