Rory McDonald retires from competition after devastating loss.
The former Bellator welterweight champion and longtime UFC contender announced his retirement on Sunday, one day after suffering a first-round TKO loss to Dilano Taylor in the PFL 2022 semifinals.
McDonald, 33, announced the news via Instagram.
“The time has come for me to take off the gloves for good,” McDonald wrote. “I am very grateful for this sport and for every person I have met along the way.
“I started this sport as a 14-year-old kid, I still remember my first day and I know this is what I want to spend my life doing. The passion for martial arts and becoming a professional MMA fighter gave me hope and a path to a better life! And I am so thankful to God for putting this Toshido MMA gym in Kelowna in my path. It really changed the direction of my life and saved me!
“What an adventure this career has been, 17 years of professional fights. Everything came and went so fast! So many painful trainings that have been etched into my being, traveling to all parts of the planet and meeting so many people.
“I’ve learned so much about myself through this career, but not all of it is good. And I’ve made so many mistakes along the way, but here I am at 33 years old, a better person because of those mistakes that I’m so thankful I grew up with.”
MacDonald went on to thank the fans for their support, as well as the UFC, Bellator and the PFL.
Debuting in 2005, MacDonald quickly became one of the hottest prospects in his native Canada, starting his career 10-0. He eventually took his talents to Montreal’s Tristar Gym, where he trained alongside UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. MacDonald joined the UFC in 2010, where he won eight of his first 10 fights, including a dominant decision victory over future welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
“The Red King” attempted to win the UFC 170-pound title at UFC 189 in July 2015, where he lost by fifth-round TKO to Robbie Lawler in one of the greatest fights in MMA history.
In 2017, MacDonald signed with Bellator and won the welterweight title by defeating Douglas Lima in just his second fight for the promotion. He successfully defended his belt twice before ceding it back to Lima in the finals of a Grand Prix tournament. MacDonald also unsuccessfully challenged Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator Middleweight Championship.
The final leg of MacDonald’s career came with the PFL. He signed with the league in 2019, but was unable to recapture his previous success, going just 2-4, including a stunning loss to Taylor that was the final fight of his career.
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