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Why Rory MacDonald’s truthful comments are refreshing and should be supported

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The most engaging moment of Saturday’s Bellator 220 main event came after the results were announced.

After a grueling fight that ended in a majority draw, welterweight champion Rory MacDonald was asked about his performance against Jon Fitch, and the Canadian delivered one of the most truthful and thought-provoking post-fight comments in the history of the sport:

.@Rory_MacDonaldpost-fight interview. #Bellator220

“I don’t know if I have the same need to hurt people anymore.” pic.twitter.com/6Iosk6RPID

— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) April 28, 2019

MacDonald, 29, is the current Bellator MMA welterweight champion.

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While this would traditionally put him right in the middle of his sporting prime and clearly mean he’s in the sweet spot when it comes to making good money and landing massive fights, the thing people often lose sight of about MacDonald is that he competes professionally from the age of 16 and that, like all of us, things happen in life that change our perspective on our profession, the way we allocate our time and life as a whole.

MacDonald is no longer the frustrated, furious kid who talked his dad into dropping him off at Toshido Martial Arts in Kelowna, British Columbia, years ago. He’s not the hot-tempered, quick-to-violent teenager who was nicknamed “The Waterboy” because of how much he resembled Bobby Boucher, who raged and destroyed a store at South Central Louisiana State University (Go Mud Dogs!) in film of the same title.

He is a 13-year veteran with 26 fights under his belt, the last 17 of which were at the highest level in the sport.

Over the past five years, he has fought Robbie Lawler, Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, Tarec Saffiedine, Robbie Lawler again, Stephen Thompson, Paul Daley, Douglas Lima, Gegard Mousasi and Jon Fitch. In an age where athletes are picking their spots and looking for the path of least resistance, MacDonald has traveled a daunting road, emerging from a 10-fight run with a 5-4-1 record, a world title win, an all-time great rematch with Lawler and people asking a lot of questions about his future.

He also married, started a family, and built a deep, meaningful relationship with God.

People change, and Saturday’s post-fight speech was an open and truthful acknowledgment of that by MacDonald, who publicly questioned whether he still had what it takes to step into the cage and be willing to inflict pain on another man.

While that may not be what you want to hear, being Bellator president Scott Coker and having MacDonald defend his title in the welterweight Grand Prix semifinals at the end of the summer, it’s the kind of truthful, genuine feedback we want athletes to consistently ask for, and MacDonald deserves credit for dealing with the situation on site and quickly.

Here was an athlete who had long been criticized, ridiculed and memed for his awkwardness with the media and what some considered a lack of humanity.

He was “The Canadian Psycho”, a guy who just wanted to hurt people and spoke in very low, monotonous sentences, standing in the middle of the cage after a tough 25-minute fight with the grizzled veteran and answering questions about his inconsistent performance with refreshing honesty and all sorts of introspection.

MacDonald will certainly take some time now to find out what happens next.

He will talk to his wife, family and coaches to determine where he wants to go, but the two entities that should not be part of his decision-making process are the promotion and the fans.

MacDonald doesn’t owe anyone anything.

He doesn’t owe it to Bellator MMA to make a welterweight grand prix or continue fighting until he loses the welterweight title, though you wouldn’t expect Coker and his team to try to argue such a thing.

There is also no obligation to fans to continue to put themselves at risk for entertainment. He stepped into the cage 26 times, many of them as one of the main attractions, and competed against world-class athletes in a demanding, unforgiving sport that they enjoyed.

TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter had a great three-pack of thoughts on the subject on Sunday morning:

One of the main problems not only in MMA, but in every sport is the commodification of athletes.

For many fans, athletes exist solely to entertain us, and when that becomes a distraction, they become disposable.

Commodification is a cancer of the idea of ​​”sport”

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) April 28, 2019

Rory MacDonald owes us nothing and owes us everything.

The fact that his life’s purpose may not match the expectations of others does not make him any less human.

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) April 28, 2019

He is only 29 years senior, but he has been competing for over half his life. If he feels there is a higher calling, this personal evolution should be accepted and respected.

We are all evolving and living our best lives and we have the right to do so.

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) April 28, 2019

If people lobby for fighters to hang up the gloves and retire when they show obvious signs of deterioration, or retire when it is clear they should no longer fight, then the same approach must be taken when a fighter like MacDonald begins to doubt whether he still he has what it takes to keep entering the cage and trying to separate another human being from his consciousness.

It is an inherently risky sport and if MacDonald expresses doubts about his ability to continue competing, not only should people support whatever decision he ultimately makes, but a case should be made that he does not want him to return to the cage again if that is truly how he feels and there is no reason to believe that this is not the case.

Everyone has seen athletes who are not fully committed to what they are doing, who are giving it a “last chance” or trying to “recapture the magic” – they look out of place and it is obvious that their heart is not in it. Even if the skill and athleticism are still there, which is the case with MacDonald, the drive and passion isn’t there, and that’s a recipe for trouble.

There were moments in Saturday’s matchup with Fitch where a younger version of MacDonald would have ended things in barbaric fashion.

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In several different places the veteran staggered against the fence. Less than four years ago, MacDonald put Lawler in a similar situation and unleashed a flurry of attacks that included kicks to the head, knees and severe elbows, all aimed maliciously and intended to deter his opponent. Against Fitch on Saturday night in San Jose, MacDonald waited, looked for the perfect shot, the opening opportunity, and when he finally released the ball, it wasn’t with the same intention he had displayed in the past.

He’s a changed man and if he’s not confident he can fight like he should to beat the top-class competition he faces every time he steps into the cage, maybe it’s time for MacDonald to step back and start another chapter in your life.

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MMA

Demetrious Johnson equaled Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defended his flyweight title at UFC “Fight Night Kansas City,” looking to stop challenger Wilson Reis and make UFC history.

After beating Reis from the opening bell and submitting him via armbar at 4:49 of the third round, Johnson did exactly what he wanted. With this victory, Johnson has now won 12 straight fights, but more importantly, it is his 10th defense of the UFC flyweight title, tying Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.

The spectacular, historic victory left Johnson more placid and reserved than usual after the fight.

“GSP, Anderson, they are great champions, but I am the best champion that has ever stepped foot in this Octagon,” Johnson said. “I finish off all my opponents. There is no other champion who can mix it all, fight, punch and clinch like me.

Johnson scored the victory by punching and softening Reis while staying out of danger first. The champion then took him to the ground, pounded him some more, and then delivered a neat submission to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Going from a full mount to an armbar submission faster than anyone else in the UFC to end the event, “Mighty Mouse” showed why he’s considered the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world today.

“It was a damn good night,” Johnson said in his post-fight Octagon interview. “It’s probably the best training camp I’ve ever had, and my head coach kept telling me, ‘Just be yourself.’ I came back and did a lot of things differently at this camp and it was the best effort I’ve ever felt.

Even if people like UFC president Dana White call him the “GOAT” of the UFC, putting his name first alongside Silva, who ruled the middleweight division and pound-for-pound rankings from 2006-2013. Johnson remains focused on taking his division and legacy to heights never before seen in MMA.

“I’m like any champion, whether it’s a team sport like the Michael Jordan Bulls or something like the UFC, I want to win as many championships as possible,” Johnson said at the post-fight news conference. I’ve got 10 title defenses now and I can take this belt home and hopefully next time I can break through and maybe I can get 13 or 14 titles, so why not set the bar high. Just like Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, I’m the fastest man in mixed martial arts, so I’m going to continue to prove that and hopefully set the record at 15 years and then I can retire.

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MMA

Max Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

Even with 10 consecutive wins inside the Octagon, UFC interim featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway never had the opportunity to fight for the undisputed championship.

That will all change on Saturday when Holloway faces UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in a unification fight at UFC 212 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This will be only the second time in his career that Holloway will headline a pay-per-view card, but he is extremely confident of entering enemy territory in pursuit of his lifelong dream.

“I’ve been in the spotlight in my career, I’ve had a five-round fight outside the UFC and I’m ready for anything,” Holloway said during a recent conference call.

“I’m just ready to show the world what I’m about and why I’m the best fighter in this division.”

“Blessed” has finished seven opponents in his 10-fight winning streak, including a TKO over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to become interim champion.

Holloway and Aldo are two of the best all-around strikers in MMA today, but there aren’t many other similarities both inside and outside the Octagon. What they have in common, however, is that their last defeat came against UFC’s most recognizable star, “Notorious” Conor McGregor.

For Holloway, losing to McGregor four years ago was a good thing. He regrouped, became a more complete fighter and put together one of the greatest winning streaks in UFC history.

However, despite his incredible success at the championship level over the past few years, the UFC has been reluctant to put its hype machine behind Holloway, much to the surprise of many in the media and fans.

Even with this lack of pressure, Holloway is very excited to reign supreme in a division that has only had two undisputed champions in its compact history.

“I just can’t wait to do the damn thing; get in there and fight one of the best of all time,” Holloway said. “He is one of the greatest in our sport, but it is time for a up-to-date era.”

“I have been an underdog my whole life. I do not care. I shouldn’t be here. Max Holloway shouldn’t be talking to any of you. I shouldn’t be here. It is what it is. “Actions speak louder than words, and I have done many things.”

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MMA

Amanda Nunes withdraws from UFC 213 title fight

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

After being hospitalized hours earlier, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has been withdrawn from her UFC 213 main event bout against top-ranked Valentina Shevchenko, UFC president Dana White confirmed.

The report of Nunes’ illness and withdrawal was first revealed by mmafighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. White told LA Times writer Lance Pugmire via text message: “I don’t know why Nunes (14-4) withdrew from the card after being examined by a doctor.

“The doctor cleared her to fight. She said she wasn’t feeling well,” White said. “It is what it is. You can’t force anyone to fight.”

Now, the scheduled co-main event fight for the interim middleweight title between Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero and Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker will be upgraded to main event status at UFC 213. The fresh co-main event will be a heavyweight fight between the former champion Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem, who will fight for the title of number 1 contender to champion Stipe Miocic.

Many commented on how exhausted Nunes looked, as fighters often do, at the official weigh-in on Friday morning around 10 a.m. PST. It must be admitted that in her nine-year MMA career, “The Lioness” has never officially made weight or withdrawn from a fight due to weight loss problems, until today.

The fight will likely be postponed soon. Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission said Nunes had problems beyond the weakness resulting from the weight cut that led to her withdrawal.

Meanwhile, undefeated women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk spent Saturday morning “begging White to fight via text messages and social media.” Jedrzejczyk last fought at UFC 211 in May and plans to fight in November at UFC 217, but she was in town for International Fight Week and told White she would face Shevchencko.

Much to the disappointment of fans and the media, the strawweight champion has no chance of fighting tonight because medical tests and other clearances require a little longer before the NSAC will clear her. So everyone has to hold on tight to see how this story unfolds over the next few days

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