Rory MacDonald has tackled a lot of challenges during his career, but nothing has tested him quite like the rigors of two seasons with the PFL.
The one-time UFC title contender and ex-Bellator welterweight champion has faced plenty of obstacles during his career, including his all-time great fight against Robbie Lawler, as well as moving up a division in an attempt to claim a second Bellator world title. But nothing has put more strain on him than the relentless nature of the PFL schedule.
” “It’s probably my most difficult job in my entire career,” MacDonald said to MMA Fighting. It’s both mentally and physically exhausting. It’s a lot of pressure. It’s a lot of stress on the body and the mind.
” It’s been very difficult and extremely difficult to manage, to be truthful. Although I did learn a lot from the last year, it was still a difficult year. You have to be strong for it to work. You have to be a really strong guy to get through the season and the playoffs in the PFL.”
Through five fights in the promotion, MacDonald has posted a 2-3 record overall, though that includes a very controversial split decision loss to Gleison Tibau in 2021 that most believe he should have won. MacDonald came up short in another close decision in his most recent fight against striker Sadibou Sy, but he still earned a spot in the playoffs based on his dominant win over Brett Cooper to start the season.
Now, as MacDonald prepares for his fight against Dilano Taylor in Wales on Saturday, MacDonald is putting himself through the ringer again to be ready for another bout just six weeks after suffering a three-round, exhausting battle.
“It’s been a challenge,” MacDonald said. “I would have liked to rest. After two fights, it’s hard to go back to the training camp. This has been quite a bit of training. Just trying to push myself to get through it and then get a little bit of a break when preparing for the finals if I can beat this guy.
“I’m pretty much taking it as my championship fight. This is how I see it. You can have guys come in as substitutes, or I could be a guy I don’t know. I need to do my very best to make sure these guys bring the goods. They want to make a name and they want that money. To get there .”
, I will fight them tooth-and-nine.
MacDonald has seen first-hand just how tough it has been for other fighters to adapt to the PFL format, where athletes can compete up to four times over a six- or seven-month span in order to win a championship and take home the $1 million grand prize.
In his own division MacDonald has Sy only as a returning competitor last year, which shows the difficulties of getting to that point again in two consecutive seasons.
” “It’s hard to compete with these guys every year,” MacDonald stated. PFL is not a joke. You’ve got to be one of the best in the world to get through this. It is an honor to compete with these men .”
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Despite claiming the Bellator title, and winning over people like Nate Diaz, B.J. MacDonald says that Penn, Tyron Whiteley and Demian Maia are his most significant accomplishments.
” “It’s probably the most difficult thing that I have had to do in order to win a championship,” MacDonald stated. “The back-to-back fights, it’s a huge challenge. It would probably be my biggest achievement personally.”
