Bellator champ Rory MacDonald not retiring, confirms desire to continue in grand prix

Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald on Tuesday ended speculation about his immediate future, agreeing to continue in the promotion’s grand prix after fighting Jon Fitch to a draw at Bellator 220.

MacDonald said in a Bellator-issued statement, “I am going to move forward in this tournament and compete boldly against Neiman Gracie.

The fight is scheduled for Bellator 222 on June 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York, although the date could be an issue.

According to the California State Athletic Commission, which regulated this past Saturday’s Bellator 220, MacDonald is under a mandatory 60-day suspension for a “facial cut on (his) right side,” per doctor’s notes issued with the suspensions. MacDonald also is subject to a potential 180-day suspension for a right elbow injury, though that could be lifted with doctor’s clearance.

Reached for comment, CSAC executive director Andy Foster confirmed the 60-day suspension is in effect. He declined additional comment on a potential June 14 fight but added, “If he’s suspended, he’s suspended.” A Bellator official said the promotion will look into the matter but didn’t offer further comment.

McDonald raised eyebrows this past Saturday at Bellator 220 when he declared he didn’t “have that killer inside” after fighting Fitch to a draw in the grand prix’s final opening-round fight. MacDonald, who cited his newfound religious views, added: “I don’t know if I have that same drive to hurt people anymore.”

Bellator president Scott Coker briefly entertained the idea of replacing MacDonald with Fitch, who nearly pulled off the win, or with a tournament alternate. Gracie, who faced off with MacDonald after his announcement, was skeptical about his opponent’s doubts.

MacDonald, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, walked back his comments after the DAZN-streamed headliner, saying he intended to finish the tournament. He said he was just “trying to be honest” in expressing what he felt in the moment.

In his statement on Tuesday, MacDonald reiterated the conflicting feelings that prompted him to make his statement.

“I felt an internal struggle during the fight I never experienced before,” he said. “I have always enjoyed my time in the cage by expressing my techniques in full-out combat against another top-level fighter, but this time I wasn’t enjoying it. It felt more like a job than the satisfaction I am used to feeling by being dominant and applying what I have practiced to defeat someone.

“Even during my dominant moments, I felt I was completing a task, and these feelings were a bit confusing to me because it’s new. I used to fight with anger I held within myself from pain I had experienced in my past. To be honest, I believe this comes from my heart changing as I’m walking a new life as a Christian. The Lord has given me peace and freedom from the pain that haunted me in my heart from my younger years. I would only satisfy myself for a short period of time from winning fights until the feeling would resonate in me again. So, now I don’t feel the same emotions I have in the past while competing.”

In the build-up to the fight, MacDonald spoke passionately about his devotion to Christ and how spirituality had changed him as a person. Despite the shift, he saw no issue in reconciling his chosen profession with his newfound faith.

At the post-event presser, MacDonald linked his post-fight experience to his personal life. But on Tuesday, he again stressed that he felt no conflict between them.

“I still and will always have a passion for martial arts and do not believe, as a Christian, that it’s wrong for myself to compete in a professional sport that is violent,” MacDonald said. “In fact, I’m happy to testify about being a Christian on this platform I’ve been given.”

You can read MacDonald’s full statement here:

“I want to take the time to thank everybody who had the chance to see my fight last weekend and share that candid moment I had in the Bellator cage with John McCarthy.

“I felt an internal struggle during the fight I never experienced before. I have always enjoyed my time in the cage by expressing my techniques in full out combat against another top-level fighter, but this time I wasn’t enjoying it. It felt more like a job than the satisfaction I am used to feeling by being dominant and applying what I have practiced to defeat someone.”

“Even during my dominant moments, I felt I was completing a task and these feelings were a bit confusing to me because it’s new. I used to fight with anger I held within myself from pain I had experienced in my past. To be honest, I believe this comes from my heart changing as I’m walking a new life as a Christian. The Lord has given me peace and freedom from the pain that haunted me in my heart from my younger years. I would only satisfy myself for a short period of time from winning fights until the feeling would resonate in me again. So, now I don’t feel the same emotions I have in the past while competing.

“I still and will always have a passion for martial arts and do not believe, as a Christian, that it’s wrong for myself to compete in a professional sport that is violent. In fact, I’m happy to testify about being a Christian on this platform I’ve been given.

“To be clear, I am not retiring from my professional MMA career, I’ve always been true and honest in the sport and I spoke from the heart.

“As for my career at the moment. I am going to move forward in this tournament and compete boldly against Neiman Gracie in New York at MSG on June 14.

“Thank you for your support and all the kind messages I’ve received after this sentimental moment I had for all to see after 14 years of being in this sport.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 222, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.