Bellator 192 welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald discusses champ Douglas Lima’s strengths, and comments on the ‘Canadian Psycho’ label attached to him of late.
Rory MacDonald headlines Bellator 192 next Saturday at The Forum in Los Angeles. There, he’ll take on Douglas Lima, Bellator’s established but criminally underappreciated welterweight champion. Lima has now won three straight bouts, against Paul Daley, Andrey Koreshkov (capturing the 170lb title in the process), and free agent signing Lorenz Larkin in Lima’s first title defense.
Next up, however, is Canada’s ‘The Red King’ Rory MacDonald. MacDonald has been well-known to MMA fans for years, seen by many as next in line to GSP’s throne. Now, after leaving the UFC on a two-fight losing streak that included a Fight of the Year title challenge against Robbie Lawler, MacDonald is poised to win gold in a major promotion. He earned the shot with a submission win over Paul Daley at Bellator 179 back in May. The Canadian has been patiently awaiting his title shot ever since.
In promotional videos hyping the fight, MacDonald has been quoted as saying that he’s an “A+ fighter” compared to his A-level opposition. On Wednesday’s Bellator 192 conference call, we asked MacDonald what Lima brings to the table that the Canadian hasn’t seen before. Or, at least, what Lima does better than anyone else, in MacDonald’s estimation.
“I think Douglas, his biggest strength is his power. He can hit power from pretty much anywhere. I think that’s the biggest thing” MacDonald told us. “But I’ve fought a lot of power hitters before, I’ve been very successful against those guys. I’m not too stressed about it.”
“He is dynamic, he’s good on the ground as well, he’s a strong athlete” the Canadian challenger added. “Pretty much every position we’re going to be in, it’s going to be a fight, I can assume that. But I think his biggest asset is going to be his power.”
Leading into the bout, there’s been a little bit of trash talk, with Lima saying he’s going to “sleep” MacDonald, and referring to him as an iPad salesman (in reference to MacDonald’s frankly killer turtleneck during a staredown earlier this year). Does any of that get to Rory MacDonald, particularly the ‘Canadian Psycho’ moniker that has popped up in recent months?
“I’m indifferent about it” he said. “I don’t really care.”
Bellator 192 takes place Saturday, January 20 at The Forum in Los Angeles. The card airs live on the Paramount Network, formerly Spike TV.
