Montreal — Rory MacDonald is a UFC Hall of Fame member, a former title challenger known for a welterweight classic with Robbie Lawler, and as a Bellator MMA welterweight champion at the height of that promotion.
Since he walked away from MMA in 2022 after a bumpy run in the PFL, “The Red King” has rarely been heard from. After all, he doesn’t keep a social media presence, and hasn’t been all that involved with any of his former promotions.
Yet he turned up at the UFC 315 Q&A on Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal alongside Georges St-Pierre and other Canadian UFC greats of years past, still the most youthful looking of the bunch at 35 (though as one fan pointed out, GSP himself ages like fine wine; he’s barely aged a day it seems).
Asked about a possible comeback, given he’s barely out of his prime, MacDonald admitted the thought occasionally crosses his mind. Then reality sets in.
“From time to time, it has come back [the desire to fight again]. But shortly after when I actually think about it and what it entails, I’m just, I’m not that kind of person anymore,” stated MacDonald. “I don’t have the drive, the intensity it takes to be at a championship level any more. Sometimes it’s nice to dream when you’re having a coffee or something, but when the reality comes down to it no— it’s not for me anymore.”
Rory MacDonald was also asked on Friday about what separates athletes from regular people. And for MacDonald, it comes down to a few factors.
“Work ethic, passion, enjoying what you do,” he listed. “Going to training and stuff and enjoying the experience I think is a big part of it, to long term success. Because you’re not going to put in that hard work if you’re not enjoying yourself. So I think having fun, making it fun to experience for yourself as you prepare is super important.”
