MacDonald learning in lead up to fight with Diaz
Posted April 27, 2011 10:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Just 21, Rory MacDonald is very much an MMA work in progress.
And Saturday, the talented welterweight from Kelowna, B.C., will get another UFC reality check in the prickly form of Nate Diaz at UFC 129.
MacDonald turned heads last June in a wild fight with Carlos (Natural Born Killer) Condit at UFC 115 in Vancouver.
Matched against a vastly more experienced opponent, MacDonald came out like a man possessed and took charge. But he paid for it in the third round when Condit regained control and laid into him.
The fight was stopped with just seven seconds remaining, with a grounded MacDonald taking a beating.
In the wake of his first loss, MacDonald moved to Montreal to work with Georges St-Pierre’s camp. He had come to Quebec for short training visits previously but decided in the wake of the Condit loss that it was time to go to the next level.
“It’s definitely had an impact living in Montreal,” he said. “More experienced guys, different coaching, just a different outlook on things. I feel like I’ve matured as an athlete and as a fighter over this period of time so I hope it shows in my fight.”
It has not been all smooth since the move, however. Training for a fight with Matt Brown, MacDonald injured his knee and required surgery. He was out for more than three months.
Veteran fighter Denis Kang played big brother.
“He helped me a lot during my surgery, he actually invited me into his home to stay with him while I was recovering for the first month of my surgery before I was able to move and walk,” MacDonald said. “He really helped take care of me, he’s a great friend.”
Kang, who has fought all over the world with stints in both Pride and the UFC, sees a rare talent in MacDonald.
“Rory represents the new generation of fighters,” he said in a email to The Canadian Press. “He started MMA in his early teens and is starting to evolve into a very complete and high level fighter.
“He shows a great maturity and focus that will allow him to go very far in this sport.”
MacDonald (10-1) admits he let the moment get to him at UFC 115. While he had fought in the UFC once before, the adrenalin was pumping overtime for the fight in his home province.
“I got very emotional,” he said. “It was a home town (crowd), they pumped me up. I had a lot of pressure on me, a lot of nerves. It was a big fight for me. It got very emotional for me, I just wanted to go in there and put on a good show, so I got a little headstrong.”
Asked if he could hear the Rogers Arena crowd chanting “Rory, Rory,” he replied: “It was pretty much all I could hear.”
In his post-fight cage interview, MacDonald graciously called it a “just stoppage.”
But months later, one wonders if he still shares that view.
“What I thought is the referee was doing the best job he could,” MacDonald said. “I wasn’t going to quit. Personally I wasn’t going to tap, I wasn’t going to give up. I didn’t know how much time was left on the clock, I knew I was just doing my job trying to fight and protect myself and Carlos was doing his job.
“I mean it is what it is. I can’t be upset with it or else it’s just going to be a negative thing over my head. I don’t like to have negative things in my life. One day I’ll get my revenge.”
The damage to MacDonald looked worse that it was.
“I was fine. I went to the hospital afterwards, got my brain checked it, got all my face bones checked out, everything was fine. I was out of there a little while after.”
The prognosis was “heavy bruising,” although there was another kind of pain.
“After the fight, yeah I was very hurt. It was a shitty thing for me but I got through it.”
Lesson learned, he is ignoring the hype of UFC 129 and its record crowd at the Rogers Centre.
“I was excited about it last time and I think that takes some of my focus away maybe,” he said of the hoopla. “Really I’m only worried about Nate that night. That’s the only thing in my head, so the amount of people, the lights and all that stuff — not in my head right now.”
Diaz (13-6) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Dong Hyun (Stun Gun) Kim at UFC 125.
