Topic: Rory MacDonald

Rory Mac: Speed bump, or less upside than we thought?

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Gregory

Location: Boston
Member Since: 2010.05.24
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11.17.2013 | 1:19 PM ET

The biggest upset by far last night (measured by betting odds) was the -430 Rory MacDonald getting plastered around the ring by the resurgent Robbie Lawler.

Is this just a question of MacDonald needing to rethink his gameplanning and urgency in how he fights, and we'll see him fight for the belt before long? Or are there serious holes in the kid's game and it was always premature for people to try and anoint him as the next big thing from Canada.

"I live, I die, I live again."

Fighter Details

Name: Rory MacDonald
Pro MMA Record: 23-10-1 (Win-Loss-Draw)
Nickname: Red King
Current Streak: 2 Losses
Age: 1989-07-22 | Date of Birth: 1989.07.22
Last Fight: August 13, 2022 in PFL
Weight Class: Welterweight | Last Weigh-In: 171.0 lbs
Affiliation: Tristar Gym
Height: 6'0" (183cm) | Reach: 76.0" (193cm)
Career Disclosed Earnings: $1,290,000 USD
Born: Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada
Fighting out of: Deerfield Beach, FL
Head Coach: Firas Zahabi
Other Coaches: N/A
Fighter Links:
Personal Links:

Responses
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MikeLovesTacos XD

Location: Ontario, Canada
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11.17.2013 | 1:25 PM ET

Holes in his game. He cant handle an aggressive fighter. Usually he's the aggressor and that makes people hesitant to pull the trigger. Well he finally fought an aggressive fighter who wasn't afraid to do so. Was the hype premature? I don't know, look at the odds and tell me.. Those odds are beyond ridiculous when he was going up against a guy like Lawler.

* Edited at 11.17.2013, 1:28 PM ET *

"Why are you booing me? I am the GOAT. **** you." - Patricio "Pitbull" Freire

nogfan

Location: The Trap
Member Since: 2013.03.26
Predictions: 15,253 | 63.3%
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11.17.2013 | 1:26 PM ET

I think it was a combination of both Rory and Georges not having proper gameplans and there opponents simply being much better than them on that night.

ProdigyKid14

Location: Michigan
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11.17.2013 | 1:27 PM ET

-430 on Rory was ridiculous to me. I picked him to lose last night, not because I dislike him, but because I thought there was a good chance Robbie could win this fight. I think he's a good fighter and will be for a while, but I think he's been a little overrated as far as the future champ talk goes. He's 24, so I'm sure we haven't seen the best of him yet.

"I fight em all. Men, women, children, ******** people, it doesn't matter. If you hit me, we're gonna fight. -Charles Bennett"

dielegende23

Location: Latveria
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11.17.2013 | 1:33 PM ET

My main concern is that he just hasn't a good gas tank. He can go 2 hard rounds at best. Maybe it's because he's a huge WW but he's still young so it might be a problem that will be hard to fix.

His chin is also not the best, he doesn't seem to take a punch all that well, last night that was understandable since Lawler is a beast but Guymon, Mills and Condit all hurt him as well.

The gameplan was OK I guess, he tried to get it to the ground earlier but couldn't get it there.

Still a good prospect, I was very high on Rory in terms of his skills after the Ellenburger fight since I expected Burger to knock him the **** out. Hope that loss humbles him and makes him better.

" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess

Brazilian Jitz

Location: Canada
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11.17.2013 | 1:51 PM ET

For me he has been Tristar'd (GSP-Carmont.. so on and so forth).

He comes out and tries to win with doing as little as possible, and taker no risks. I think this is just a speed bump, and I think ROry is a better fighter than Lawler, but Rory is a killer, and I feel like in order for him to be successful he needs to fight with that killer attitude.

"Albert Fish... I mean that guy was a real jerk!"

Franklin880088

Location: MASS
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11.17.2013 | 2:07 PM ET

I personally think the future of the Welter Weight division is Carlos Condit, but that just me.

"here I come to save the day"

NoJuice11

Location: Maryland
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11.17.2013 | 3:12 PM ET

I think Hendricks and Condit are gonna be hangin around for a while, Rory is overrated IMO, always has been to me.

"Dude everyone knows Shaq got rich off playing in college"-Baseketball

nogfan

Location: The Trap
Member Since: 2013.03.26
Predictions: 15,253 | 63.3%
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11.17.2013 | 3:42 PM ET

I agree NoJuice. His best win was a horrible fight with Ellenberger and demotivated undersized Bj Penn.

Brazilian Jitz

Location: Canada
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11.17.2013 | 3:45 PM ET

demotivated, lmao.

"Albert Fish... I mean that guy was a real jerk!"

Dannotheman

Location: Pennsylvania, USA
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11.17.2013 | 3:51 PM ET

I always thought Rory was being way overhyped, I just didn't foresee him losing to Lawler. He's even worse then I thought apparently. He'll never be a champ, wrestling isn't good enough, cardio isn't good enough, and his "active guard" is a joke. Top 10 but never champ.

"God please give me patience, if you give me strength I will just punch them in the face."

flying_frontkick

Location: Canada
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11.17.2013 | 4:06 PM ET

Overhyped by all the hipsters who think being a psychopath is cool or intimidating. Not when you're fighting Robbie Lawler, he don't give a **** about that. Lawler is a real god of war because he fights like it, Rory MacDonald just wants to hug you and be friends.

"For no particular reason beat up everyone"

yossgold

Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
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11.17.2013 | 4:07 PM ET

I think it's a mixture of both. He has the potential to be the best, but he needs to regain something and iron out some creases for that potential to be realized.

It's still to early to decide for me. Let's see how he bounces back from this and we'll be that bit smarter.

Based on potential, I don't think he's being overhyped.

* Edited at 11.17.2013, 4:08 PM ET *

"Hay lohh you Mike, ay lov you Mike. Hyou say somesing like di fo me, and naw I say you ... I LOV YOU! See you som. Boy." -- Yoel Romero, UFC 205

AllHailKrull

Member Since: 2012.02.25
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11.17.2013 | 4:08 PM ET

He didn't look good because he wasn't fighting a LW or a British striker. next big thing my ass.

"People say ‘oh, so you should retire.’ Yeah, you want me to retire so you won’t get knocked out. - Vitor Belfort"

zarog

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11.17.2013 | 4:15 PM ET

It's not a hole in his game that's the problem, it's that he doesn't know how to deal with someone that will keep coming forward trying to take his head off that doesn't gas. I think the point where I realized Rory is never gonna measure up to his skill level was actually when he was on top of Lawler. It was very reminiscent of the Condit fight. Lawler was throwing strikes from the bottom and Rory didn't know how to deal with getting hit in the face while he was on top. Technically, Rory's skillset may be second only to GSP's in the WW division, but he's not a fighter in the sense that he is incapable of dealing with being hit and pushed to the limit. 5 round fights are the last thing Rory really wants to have to deal with. Getting Condit, Lawler, Lombard, Kampmann, or even Matt Brown in a 5-rounder would be a terrible proposition for Rory.

"Surrender??!! You think this letter on my head stands for France?" - Captain America

p4pgoat

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11.17.2013 | 6:13 PM ET

So Rory is overrated because he lost a split decision to an experienced, well rounded surging fighter? No not so much. Rory has some improving to do, no question. And he will improve. While the WW division is stacked with talent including young talent nobody has a brighter future in MMA then Rory. He's 24 years old, relax. Not everyone is Jon Jones.

"We are all human, it's time to prove it."

Nomad

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11.17.2013 | 6:17 PM ET

Yes, that is correct. Rory is overrated.

"If I have a goal, then it is to escape from this literalism. I'll never achieve it; in the same way that I'll never manage to describe what really dwells within my character, although I keep on trying."

p4pgoat

Location: USA
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11.17.2013 | 6:19 PM ET

We'll see when Dana is putting UFC gold around his waist.

"We are all human, it's time to prove it."

Nomad

Location: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
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11.17.2013 | 6:23 PM ET

So we'll never see?

Franklin880088

Location: MASS
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11.17.2013 | 6:24 PM ET

Not if Condit has anything to say about it. I think Rory stands little chance against Condit in a 5 rounder.

"here I come to save the day"

buffalo ben

Location: Bogotá, Colombia
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11.17.2013 | 6:29 PM ET

I admit that I had too high of an opinion of him before last night. The Tristar game plan, which consists mainly of nullifying your opponent´s main offense was really put to the test by Lawler and Hendricks, who both epitomize the antithesis. I really don´t know what happens to Rory from here, either he becomes one of these perenial top tens who never stands out as the number 1 contender, sort of like Kampmann, or, he figures out way to learn from this and becomes way better. I can´t wait for his next fight to see.

"You don't have to be perfect, just dont be fraudulant"

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