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D. FOX: History suggests rough future for Rory MacDonald after brutal UFC 189 loss
Jul 14, 2015 - 2:35:23 PM D. FOX: History suggests rough future for Rory MacDonald after brutal UFC 189 loss

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By: Dayne Fox, MMATorch Contributor

Fans were given one hell of a treat this past weekend when UFC 189 not only lived up to expectations, but somehow managed to surpass them as well. There wasn't a single fight on the main card that was even average, as they would all have been favorites to receive a performance of the night bonus on any other card. But far and away the best fight on the card was the Welterweight Title tilt in which Robbie Lawler came out on top over Rory MacDonald in what Dana White called "Fight of the… ever."

The beating that both of these men endured was brutal, and all one needs to do is a quick internet search of either names to find an image of the toll that taken in the fight. Lawler's lip was split badly enough that when he spoke, one half of his upper lip moved while the other half didn't. It was one of those injuries that you'd be proud to have as a pre-teen punk looking to gross out your older sister… or anyone else with a fully functioning brain for that matter (as we all know pre-teen boys are more than a little off-kilter).

But MacDonald was the one who received the brunt end of the stick. His nose was broken early in the fight and was pouring blood throughout, becoming a faucet when Lawler finished him off in the fifth round. That final straight punch shattered the nose and crumpled MacDonald like a cowering child. And even though that is a very accurate description of MacDonald's reaction from the punch, the man endured a beating so legendary that I couldn't lose any respect for him. News came out later that when asked what year it was in the back, he didn't know. When he sent a picture of himself out to the public the next day, his eyes were swollen completely shut and he confirmed a broken foot.

Lawler and MacDonald put on a fight that has earned them a permanent place in the MMA pantheon, but performances like that often come with a price. It is likely that the both of them shortened their careers in the process. Though that is absolutely a shame, both men know that is a potential price they are willing to pay, and further reason to admire anyone willing to step into a cage/ring. The bigger question I have is whether or not they have given something more than they thought through their performances.

Look back on other legendary fights in which both competitors refused to quit when logic screams that is the most sensible thing to do. Don Frye and Ken Shamrock engaged in an epic war in 2002 from which neither were ever the same. Frye became dependent upon painkillers for a long period from the damage Shamrock did via heel hooks. Frye refused to tap in that bout, and finished his career 6-8 after opening it 14-1. Shamrock is still fighting (against his better judgment) and has since gone 3-9 following his loss to Frye.

There are a few arguments I can see popping up. It can be pointed out that Lawler engaged in three fights similar to that last year, all going the full 25 minutes, and was still able to put on a show like he did against MacDonald. While that's true, Lawler has proven to be a freak of nature who loves when a fight gets down and dirty, as he laughed deep into his first encounter with Johny Hendricks showing he was enjoying himself. And he was encouraging the crowd to make more noise deep into his war with MacDonald. There always is an exception to the rule with human nature, and Lawler has proven to be that exception if I have ever seen one. Even with that said, I do expect the toll to eventually catch up to him… I just can't predict when.

MacDonald is the one that I'm concerned about. In his case, it isn't just the physical beating he endured that concerns me, but his mental state following such a devastating loss. For a fighter to come so close to achieving their goal of becoming world champion, only to be thrust back down to earth in such a debilitating manner, it's a situation which has stalled the career of many talented fighters. Remember Joe ‘Daddy' Stevenson? The winner of TUF season 2, Stevenson reeled off four wins in row upon dropping to lightweight and received a title shot against B.J. Penn for the then-vacant belt. Penn left Stevenson crying in a pool of his own blood at the conclusion of the fight… literally. Only 25 at the time of the fight, Stevenson's career went into a tailspin from there, as he is 3-8 since that loss with only one fight in the last three years.

You say Stevenson already had a lot of mileage on his body by then? At 35 fights under his belt heading into that fight, I can't argue that. How about another B.J. Penn victim in Diego Sanchez?

Sanchez was 28 at the time of his loss to Penn, with a record of 21-2 heading into the fight. He landed a total of 8 strikes in almost 23 minutes and whiffed on all 27 takedown attempts, while Penn landed 149, dropping Sanchez early in the fight and splitting his head open with a vicious kick to end the fight in the fifth round. Sanchez has since gone 4-4 with two of those victories highly questionable judges' decisions.

Still too many miles on Sanchez for your liking? Fine. Though 31 at the time, Gray Maynard had only 11 fights (without a loss) going into his second battle with Frankie Edgar. After one of the greatest fights in the history of MMA, in which Maynard dropped Edgar not once, not twice, but three times in the first round, the judges ruled the contest a draw. Though few would argue the decision (outside of the Edgar or Maynard camps at least), Maynard felt cheated. He came back strong though and another classic was delivered in another rematch, with Maynard dropping Edgar in the opening round again. But it was not to be as Edgar persevered and knocked Maynard out cold in the fourth round, popping Maynard's hopes and dreams in violent fashion.

What's happened to Maynard since that fight? He won his first fight against Clay Guida after concluding his epic trilogy, but that turned into a sideshow with Guida avoiding Maynard for the entirety of the fight and being warned by the referee to engage. Since then? 0-4 with 3 Kos, in addition to being knocked down five times over the course of those bouts, including the lone fight he lost by decision.

MacDonald compares the best to Maynard, as he came ever so close to taking the titlem not just by receiving a title fight, but damn near finishing his opponent. On top of that, he had a good case for a judge's nod if it went to decision. Maynard never seemed to recover psychologically, and I fear MacDonald may not either as he came this close to catching his golden goose only to fall short. That would be torture for just about anyone, even the most hardened of fighters.

History is not on MacDonald's side to come back the same fighter. He's going to be away from the sport for a while as he recovers from his battle wounds, and from there it will still take time to see how he looks. I will be the first to admit that I'm not exactly a MacDonald mark as I find him difficult to like with his perceived lack of personality (I can't say for sure since I've never met the guy, thus I use the word perceived), but I will be rooting for him at this point. He is a supremely gifted fighter who has put on some very impressive performances. It would be a shame to see his career peak at the tender age of 25. I hope other MMA fans feel the same way, as he deserves that much for his performance against Lawler. Perhaps he can become an exception to the rule like the man he just faced.