MacDonald: ‘I’m ready to win the title and defend it’
Rory MacDonald: “I don’t think the title shot could have come at a better time. I’m happy that I got it right now and not before. I’m ready to win it and defend it.”
At one point Rory MacDonald was the heir apparent to Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title. Once St-Pierre retired though, MacDonald couldn’t quite put together the win string to make it into a title fight, but now older and more prepared, he feels like he is ready to win the title and keep it:
MacDonald took bumps, bruises and a couple of losses on his record before finally being granted his title shot at UFC 189 and as strange as it may sound to some, he’s actually happy he went through all of that to get here.
“It has been really nice. I think the experiences I went through really made me ready right now,” MacDonald said when speaking to FOX Sports. “It seems to fall into place perfectly at this moment. I don’t think the title shot could have come at a better time. I’m happy that I got it right now and not before. I’m ready to win it and defend it.”
MacDonald doesn’t even mind the loss he has to welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who he meets for the second time on July 11. The bout between MacDonald and Lawler was ultra close until the third round saw the reigning champion drop the Canadian contender with a hard shot before nearly finishing the fight.