Rory MacDonald Says the UFC No Longer Entertaining
Rory MacDonald Says the UFC No Longer Entertaining
It's been over a month since Rory MacDonald signed with Bellator MMA, but details about his former UFC employers are still emerging.
It's been over a month since Rory MacDonald signed with Bellator MMA, but still more details about his prior relationship with his former UFC employers are being brought to light.
Speaking on Booker T's "Heated Conversations" podcast earlier this week, MacDonald expressed how he felt the UFC treated him during his time with the organization and how they'd had a tendency to throw guys in at the deep end rather than build them up.
"Do you know what? They have a really interesting way of pushing their fighters," MacDonald said. "They don't do it like boxing. They like to throw you into the fire and see if you come out on top or not. They will either propel you up faster and faster to make more money, or if you don't, they will throw you in the dumpster really quick.
"They aren't really into the protecting the fighter business. They are into protecting the UFC business, which is a lot different to boxing. I was for it at the time. I was 20 years old, and I didn't care about the money. I just wasn't to reach the top as fast as I possibly could."
The Canadian went on to explain that his signing with Bellator MMA wasn't just about the opportunities that lay ahead for him in the cage, but also the commercial opportunities that presented themselves outside of it.
"Having a Bellator MMA in the mix in our sport as a serious competitor to the UFC gives us the opportunity to open our eyes to other business opportunities," MacDonald said. "By going to Bellator, now I can start making royalties off of things that I deserve to be making them off, rather than the UFC collecting everything off of my character.
"I'm thrilled to be part of Bellator, because it feels like I'm stepping back into those golden years. I have the big opportunity to make something of myself and show something of myself. It had got to the point [in the UFC] where we all dressed the same, looked the same, had the same clothes, and the same characters over and over again. That's just dry and not entertaining for me."
With his UFC days now behind him, MacDonald said he is going to take on all comers in Bellator and that he is willing to move weight divisions to do that.
"There's a ton of fights I want, but I've told the promoters straight out that I have a contract that says I can fight any weight class they want," he said. "I said, anybody from welterweight to heavyweight, I'll fight them. If it makes dollars, then I'm into it.
"There is no one person in particular I have my eye on, but I want to rack up some championship belts. I'm looking for superfights in any division."
Speaking on Booker T's "Heated Conversations" podcast earlier this week, MacDonald expressed how he felt the UFC treated him during his time with the organization and how they'd had a tendency to throw guys in at the deep end rather than build them up.
"Do you know what? They have a really interesting way of pushing their fighters," MacDonald said. "They don't do it like boxing. They like to throw you into the fire and see if you come out on top or not. They will either propel you up faster and faster to make more money, or if you don't, they will throw you in the dumpster really quick.
"They aren't really into the protecting the fighter business. They are into protecting the UFC business, which is a lot different to boxing. I was for it at the time. I was 20 years old, and I didn't care about the money. I just wasn't to reach the top as fast as I possibly could."
The Canadian went on to explain that his signing with Bellator MMA wasn't just about the opportunities that lay ahead for him in the cage, but also the commercial opportunities that presented themselves outside of it.
"Having a Bellator MMA in the mix in our sport as a serious competitor to the UFC gives us the opportunity to open our eyes to other business opportunities," MacDonald said. "By going to Bellator, now I can start making royalties off of things that I deserve to be making them off, rather than the UFC collecting everything off of my character.
"I'm thrilled to be part of Bellator, because it feels like I'm stepping back into those golden years. I have the big opportunity to make something of myself and show something of myself. It had got to the point [in the UFC] where we all dressed the same, looked the same, had the same clothes, and the same characters over and over again. That's just dry and not entertaining for me."
With his UFC days now behind him, MacDonald said he is going to take on all comers in Bellator and that he is willing to move weight divisions to do that.
"There's a ton of fights I want, but I've told the promoters straight out that I have a contract that says I can fight any weight class they want," he said. "I said, anybody from welterweight to heavyweight, I'll fight them. If it makes dollars, then I'm into it.
"There is no one person in particular I have my eye on, but I want to rack up some championship belts. I'm looking for superfights in any division."