There’s no question that Rory MacDonald has been turning heads ever since he first arrived on the MMA scene. He was not an overnight sensation, but it certainly didn’t take long for “The Waterboy” to re-invent himself, and so evolved Rory MacDonald version 2.0. He would now be known as “Ares” the god of war. What were the odds that this young Canadian would find superstardom so early in his career? Well, before rushing to www.bosports.net to figure that out, let’s examine why Rory is already being recognized as the biggest threat to GSP’s title reign.
For starters, he carries an impressive professional record of 14 wins with only 1 loss, which in itself is a popular topic for discussion. Are there any other welterweights who hold a similar or more impressive record than Rory MacDonald? Well, there is England native, John “The Hitman” Hathaway who is slightly ahead of Rory with a 17-1 record, and is nearly as young, at 25 years of age. On paper, a potential bout between these 2 up and coming contenders makes sense, but let’s digress. Other notable fighters such as Don Hyun Kim (17-2-1,) Jason High (17-3-0,), Quinn Mulhern (18-3-0,) and Claude Patrick (14-2-0) have a comparable win/loss ratio to that of Rory’s, but not nearly as much hype behind them.
Now that MMA has reached the mainstream; the hype and a storyline that you can promote is a reality that ultimately works in Rory’s favor. Just ask Chael Sonnen. Rory is the protégé, the apprentice who could not only carry the torch for the next generation of welterweights, but ultimately dethrone his teacher and mentor. They are friends who have explicitly stated in numerous interviews that they would never fight each other. It makes a compelling story, and the fight would surely not disappoint.
With such a talent rich division, one has to ask, what exactly sets Rory apart from all the rest? He is only recently making his way into the welterweight top 10 rankings, and even before then, people were already hailing him the next Georges St-Pierre, including GSP himself. On paper, their rankings are worlds apart. In fact, if you were to place a bet online, a GSP vs Rory bout would see the champ as the obvious favorite. However, if the champ was to hypothetically defend his title against Rory today, many believe that MacDonald already possesses the skill and experience needed to defeat GSP, but why?
Let’s consider three important reasons why Rory MacDonald has an edge over other fighters who may present similar records. Under the guidance of Faras Zahabi and Greg Jackson, who also train the current champ, Rory’s fountain of knowledge and resources at Tri-Star is unmatched. Given his young age and the fact that he trained in all areas of martial arts from the beginning makes him one of the most well rounded welterweights in the division. Rory also has a unique advantage in that he knows Georges personally. He trains with him and learns from him. Over time, be it with ill intent or not, he will learn GSP’s weaknesses and be able to expose any holes in his game better than anyone. Rory is also genetically gifted, possessing speed and power as well as a height and reach advantage that would be problematic for GSP if they ever square off.
All sports betting and wagering aside, this matchup is very intriguing whether you believe Rory has earned his right to challenge. From MacDonald’s perspective, he could patiently continue working his way up the rankings. UFC matchmakers have plenty of equally exciting fights for him, with Jake Ellenberger set to face him next at UFC on Fox 8. Rory will surely catapult himself to a much higher ranking by defeating someone like Ellenberger.
Much can be debated about Rory’s best strategic move, but one thing’s for sure: the next time you go to sportsbook review to place your bet, don’t take your chances against Rory MacDonald because he’s virtually unstoppable. Without overlooking contenders like Johnny Hendricks, should GSP overcome, it will soon become a question of when and not if these two will meet.
