When Rory MacDonald entered round 5 of a pulsating, thrilling welterweight title fight with then-champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 189, he was unanimously up 39-37 on all three judges' scorecards. MacDonald would last exactly 1 minute before Lawler dropped him for the come-from-behind TKO.
It's been 13 months since MacDonald's lone shot at a UFC belt ended in devastating defeat, and while Lawler is no longer the champion, MacDonald is no longer with the UFC. The 27-year-old Canadian opted to sign with Bellator MMA in free agency, a move which was formally announced on last Friday's Bellator 160 card.