If he was still at the top of his game, Rory MacDonald reveals who’d he like to fight from the current UFC roster.
The former UFC title challenger and Bellator Champion retired earlier than most fighters, hanging up the gloves at the age of 33. Though, it wasn’t a short-lived career for MacDonald, who had his first MMA fight at 16 and UFC debut lined up at 20.
MacDonald defeated marquee names at welterweight, BJ Penn, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley before painting the Octagon red with blood in his one and only UFC title fight against Robbie Lawler in 2015’s ‘Fight of the Year’, a battle he lost in the final round.
Rory MacDonald announced his retirement from MMA in 2022 after stints in Bellator and PFL. Never again did the Canadian return to the UFC welterweight division.
Nick Diaz would be Rory MacDonald’s all-time dream fight
Nearly three years removed from his retirement decision, the 35-year-old Macdonald was asked which UFC star he’d want to fight in his prime…
“Maybe Nick Diaz,” MacDonald said on Tim Welch’s Red Hawk Recap.
MacDonald squared off with many top welterweights in his heyday, including his younger brother Nate but never the elder Nick Diaz.
MacDonald and Diaz share common opponents in Carlos Condit, BJ Penn and Robbie Lawler.
Rory Macdonald intrigued by Jack Della Maddalena, Khamzat Chimaev
“But how about some guys that are in the prime, right now?” Tim Welch asked MacDonald who he would’ve loved to fight in the UFC.
“I really liked JDM as a welterweight,” Rory MacDonald said of #5 UFC welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena.
“He is super— I like his style. I think that would’ve been an interesting fight.”
Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena is the next title challenger in the welterweight division, the well-rounded fighter known for his boxing skills. Maddalena’s 7-0 in the UFC and set to face champion Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315.
“Khamzat [Chimaev] would’ve been cool,” MacDonald said of the #3 UFC Middleweight, undefeated at 14-0 with back-to-back wins over former champions Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman.
“But no, these guys would destroy me…” MacDonald added.
With new blood taking over the UFC’s divisions, don’t expect Rory MacDonald to be making a comeback anytime soon.
