Rory MacDonald calls it a career; fans and fighters react × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout MMA UFC News Thank you for all the amazing fights you have given us legend - Fans and fighters tip their hat to the legendary career of Rory MacDonald By Caleb Gebrewold Modified 15 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Rory MacDonald has retired from mixed martial arts Rory MacDonald has made the decision to retire after a legendary career in mixed martial arts. MacDonald, a former UFC fighter and Bellator welterweight champion, finished his career with a 23-10-1 record. After starting with a record of 18-2, the second half of his career has been far less successful. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post MacDonald's retirement wasn't all too surprising to some. Immediately after the fight, fellow former Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren suggested that MacDonald could be done and should look for another profession. He posted on Twitter: "Damn PFLhas been rough for Rory, drops another one. I know he isn't that old, but prob time for him to find another professional." Funky@BenaskrenDamn PFL has been rough for Rory, drops another one. I know he isn’t that old, but prob time for him to find another professional.2326Damn PFL has been rough for Rory, drops another one. I know he isn’t that old, but prob time for him to find another professional. Following Rory MacDonald's announcement, reactions came in from all corners of the world, including mixed martial arts manager Ali Abdelaziz. "Thank you for all the amazing fight you have given us legend." Ali Abdelaziz@AliAbdelaziz00@rory_macdonald Thank you for all the amazing fight you have given us legand1582@rory_macdonald Thank you for all the amazing fight you have given us legand Adam Martin@MMAdamMartinRory MacDonald retired from MMA today. Canadian icon of the sport who had one of the greatest fights of all time against Robbie Lawler. Wish him all the best. Was a contender in the UFC, a champ in Bellator & finished his career in PFL. Maybe 2nd best Canadian fighter behind GSP.49138Rory MacDonald retired from MMA today. Canadian icon of the sport who had one of the greatest fights of all time against Robbie Lawler. Wish him all the best. Was a contender in the UFC, a champ in Bellator & finished his career in PFL. Maybe 2nd best Canadian fighter behind GSP. https://t.co/Q4meLIoDy2 Scott Coker@ScottCokerHappy retirement to former @BellatorMMA Champion @Rory_Macdonald. An absolute warrior.92646Happy retirement to former @BellatorMMA Champion @Rory_Macdonald. An absolute warrior. https://t.co/5BqXCNht9C Mike Bohn@MikeBohnRory MacDonald joins Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Donald Cerrone, James Krause, Uriah Hall, Nina Nunes, Jessica Eye, Eddie Wineland as some of the names to recently retire – and that's just this summer. twitter.com/MMAJunkie/stat…MMA Junkie@MMAJunkieFormer Bellator champ and UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald confirms he's retired from MMA. Full story: bit.ly/3SPg6fz19823Former Bellator champ and UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald confirms he's retired from MMA. Full story: bit.ly/3SPg6fz https://t.co/bwCDs2Ke0MRory MacDonald joins Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Donald Cerrone, James Krause, Uriah Hall, Nina Nunes, Jessica Eye, Eddie Wineland as some of the names to recently retire – and that's just this summer. twitter.com/MMAJunkie/stat… Ariel Helwani@arielhelwaniCongrats on an amazing career, @rory_macdonald. True Canadian MMA legend who was always such a pleasure to watch and cover. Few can dream of having a run as long as he had. 17 years! Massive respect. For how he fought but more importantly how he conducted himself. Thank you. 113147Congrats on an amazing career, @rory_macdonald. True Canadian MMA legend who was always such a pleasure to watch and cover. Few can dream of having a run as long as he had. 17 years! Massive respect. For how he fought but more importantly how he conducted himself. Thank you. michael@bispingCongrats on an amazing career @rory_macdonald twitter.com/mmafighting/st…MMAFighting.com@MMAFightingRory MacDonald announced his retirement.130941Rory MacDonald announced his retirement. https://t.co/HJMozoItelCongrats on an amazing career @rory_macdonald twitter.com/mmafighting/st… Shaheen Al-Shatti@shaunalshattiRory MacDonald is the same age as Israel Adesanya and two years younger than Jose Aldo. Fight years are a brutal, brutal thing.173992Rory MacDonald is the same age as Israel Adesanya and two years younger than Jose Aldo. Fight years are a brutal, brutal thing. MMA History Today@MMAHistoryTodayRory MacDonald is 33 years old.He's been competing in MMA since he was 16 years old. That's more than half of his life.It's difficult to keep the fire alive for that long.110960Rory MacDonald is 33 years old.He's been competing in MMA since he was 16 years old. That's more than half of his life.It's difficult to keep the fire alive for that long. https://t.co/G5dqOS6TVq GILBERT BURNS DURINHO@GilbertDurinho @rory_macdonald Thanks for all the moments! Enjoy your time with the family! twitter.com/MMAFighting/st…MMAFighting.com@MMAFightingRory MacDonald announced his retirement.24312Rory MacDonald announced his retirement. https://t.co/HJMozoItel @rory_macdonald Thanks for all the moments! Enjoy your time with the family! twitter.com/MMAFighting/st… Shaheen Al-Shatti@shaunalshattiIs Rory MacDonald No. 2 on the Canadian MMA Mount Rushmore? Bellator champ. One round away from being UFC champ. GOAT fight. Wins over Diaz, Penn, Ellenberger, Maia, Lima, Daley and prime Woodley. Feels like we lost some of what could've been but still a very impressive career.1837Is Rory MacDonald No. 2 on the Canadian MMA Mount Rushmore? Bellator champ. One round away from being UFC champ. GOAT fight. Wins over Diaz, Penn, Ellenberger, Maia, Lima, Daley and prime Woodley. Feels like we lost some of what could've been but still a very impressive career. The reactions to Rory MacDonald's retirement show just how respected he is in the fighting world. Outside of his Bellator championship, he is known for having one of the greatest fights in UFC history. His championship fight against Robbie Lawler is widely considered the greatest fight in welterweight history. MacDonald was winning three rounds to one on all three scorecards at the time of his fifth-round knockout loss. The two fighters' hospital picture (shown above) following the fight shows the level of respect that was gained following such an impressive fight. Unfortunately for MacDonald, his career was never the same afterwards. Despite winning the Bellator championship less than three years after the loss, MacDonald would only win five total fights over the final seven years of his career. Should Rory MacDonald s UFC 189 fight with Robbie Lawler be in the Hall of Fame Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler initially met at UFC 167. Lawler won the three-round fight via split decision. Less than two years after their first encounter, the two fighters met again for a rematch at UFC 189. This time, however, there was much more on the line as Lawler entered as the welterweight champion. MacDonald entered the fifth and final round simply needing to survive the round as he was up three rounds to one on all three judges scorecards. MacDonald, for the first time in his career seemed to run out of gas in that fifth round. To this day, the fight is considered one of the greatest fights in UFC history. With MacDonald now retired and no longer competing for other promotions, the fight should be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing. It is arguably the greatest fight in UFC history, and easily the greatest fight that hasn't been inducted. UFC@ufcGreatest fight in UFC history!?#OnThisDay in 2015, Lawler-MacDonald 2 43121115Greatest fight in UFC history!?#OnThisDay in 2015, Lawler-MacDonald 2 https://t.co/Is5EC7Pcxa Although MacDonald may not have been the same fighter afterwards, he deserves to be honored for a battle that captivated fans of the sport. Now, in retirement, MacDonald may finally get that honor. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by C. Naik × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? 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