Even in defeat in his most recent fight, Rory MacDonald seemed confident that his future would remain in Bellator MMA.
As a former welterweight champion with high profile wins over Douglas Lima, Paul Daley and Neiman Gracie, MacDonald felt like he would eventually come to an agreement with the Viacom-owned promotion on a new contract.
Instead, the PFL announced on Wednesday that they had signed MacDonald to an exclusive contract, which brought his six-fight run with Bellator to a close. It was a stunning move, but according to MacDonald, Bellator actually didn’t pursue him for a new deal as his free agency period was approaching, nor did they attempt to match the offer made by the PFL.