Back-to-back five round fights within a two-month span have taken their toll on Rory MacDonald, and now Bellator’s reigning welterweight champ needs some time to rest and recover.
MacDonald’s decision victory over Neiman Gracie in the Bellator 222 headliner punched his ticket to the finals of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix, where he will square off against Douglas Lima. While Bellator president initially floated a September date for that rematch, “The Red King” shot down that idea at Friday’s post-fight press conference.
“I have to take some time and heal some things up after back-to-back fights and training camps,” MacDonald said.