Rory MacDonald is one fight away from fighting for the PFL welterweight title, and believes he is still competing at the same level as he did in his past two major organizations.
The 2021 PFL playoffs start this Friday, and in the main event, Ray Cooper III, the 2019 PFL Welterweight tournament winner, faces off against MacDonald in a fight that most fans were hoping would be the finale. In June, the “Red King” was last in action against Gleison Tibau at PFL 5 and lost a very controversial split decision. The decision was so controversial that most MMA pundits and fans call it one of the worst robberies of all time. MacDonald agrees.
Nevertheless, MacDonald took it on the chin and is moving on. Having competed in the three biggest North American MMA organizations now, he has seen it all and faced all of the adversity. He does feel like he is still competing at the same level as he has throughout his career.
“Well, I think I’m facing the upper echelon of the sport in Ray Cooper and on the other side of the bracket as well with Magomed [Magomedkerimov] and Sadibou Sy. In my mind these guys are the at the highest level of the sport and in any promotion, so I feel like I’m competing at the same level as I was in the UFC— fighting for the title there, and in Bellator also,” MacDonald said during the PFL pre-fight press conference.
When asked if he was fighting the best welterweight in the PFL, MacDonald replied by saying, “No, I think I am [the best welterweight].”
That debate will be settled Friday night at the PFL Playoffs 1 card. You can watch the entire pre-fight press conference above.
Rory MacDonald and Ray Cooper III will collide in Hollywood, FL, this Friday, August 13, live on ESPN 2 (TSN in Canada).
