Rory MacDonald: 'I'm ready to win the title and defend it'
The day Rory MacDonald arrived in the UFC and made short work of Mike Guymon in his debut, the young Canadian was already being hailed as the future of the welterweight division.
Eventually, MacDonald teamed up with coach Firas Zahabi at the Tristar gym in Montreal where he began working alongside former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, and it didn't take long for him to become the heir apparent to the fighter most widely considered as the greatest 170-pounder of all time.
But through all the hype, compliments and accolades heaped upon MacDonald, he was always well aware that talk doesn't win fights and he would have to walk a long, arduous road if he ever wanted to live up to all the expectations that were laid at his front doorstep when he debuted as a 20-year-old fighter in the UFC.
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.
As much as MacDonald wants to win every fight, he knows losing back in November 2013 was the ultimate wake up call and it served as the catalyst before reeling off three wins in a row to now get his title shot next weekend.
"It was a great fight and a great experience for me," MacDonald said. "It really pulled me up and it was a crucial point in my career. I'm very thankful for that experience. It really kicked me in the ass and helped me evolve into another version of myself and helped me improve."
Looking back now, MacDonald can be honest enough to say that if he eked past Lawler and fought for the title in 2014, he's not completely confident it would have been the right place at the right time.
MacDonald took the loss and then rebounded with three victories in a row and now he feels this is truly the time for him not only to fight for the title, but to win it.
"I'm happy that I got to go through that," MacDonald said. "I lacked the experience in other martial arts. I needed a longer road than some because I lacked the experience at a higher level of competition. I'm grateful for it. I think it's all come together perfectly."
As much as MacDonald credits personal growth for his rise to the top of the welterweight ranks, it's still impossible to ignore that he fought Lawler less than two years ago and lost.
So what will make the difference in the rematch?
How does MacDonald ensure that he leaves UFC 189 with the welterweight title in hand?
"Robbie's definitely gotten better. He's with a great team and a great group of coaches and you can tell he's a hard worker. He's focused and hungry on defending his belt. I have definitely seen improvements from Robbie from a technical standpoint, and he's going to an even harder opponent this time around," MacDonald said.
"But I believe I will be, too. I believe it's my skill level. I believe I have a higher skill level than Robbie. I think that will make the difference."
