UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald said his mentality changed after an unsuccessful bid for the title this past July.
The fight, which ended in a fifth-round TKO loss to current champ Robbie Lawler, marked the pinnacle of MacDonald’s career to date. With a setback, the 26-year-old Canadian started thinking more about his future.
That’s why MacDonald, a longtime standout at 170 pounds, is fulfilling the final fight of his current UFC contract at UFC Fight Night 89. Whatever comes next for his career, he hopes to achieve more security.
“Martial arts was always a fun thing; I never thought about money,” MacDonald told MMAjunkie. “But now it’s come to a point where I’ve done a lot of things, and my value is up there. I thank the UFC for the opportunities that brought me to that.
“I’d just like to be compensated and live a comfortable life for my family and provide for them.”
UFC Fight Night 89 takes place June 18 at The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and airs live on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
MacDonald’s (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) contract situation definitely adds another layer to his headliner against Stephen Thompson (12-1MMA, 7-1 UFC), a surging welterweight riding a six-fight winning streak. The winner of the bout could be on the short list for a title shot.
While MacDonald has signaled he’s not happy about the numbers he’s currently getting, he said he would ideally like to continue his career in the promotion that made him a star.
“The perfect scenario is that I have the performance of my life against Stephen, re-sign with the UFC with the numbers I want, and fight for the title and win,” he said. “Then, I’m sitting pretty.”
Check out the video above for more from the UFC Fight Night 89 headliner.
For more on UFC Fight Night 89, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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