...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Rory MacDonald is currently preparing for a fight against B.J. Penn next month at UFC on Fox 5, and he's hoping to extend his winning streak to four by defeating the former two-division Champion. That streak would be longer, were it not for the sole loss suffered in his career.
That came against Carlos Condit, who fell short of becoming the Undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion last weekend at UFC 154. Condit and MacDonald met at UFC 115 in June of 2010, Condit as the veteran trying to move up the ranks, and MacDonald at the time a 20-year-old rising quickly in the sport.
MacDonald looked good through two competitive rounds, with many having him up two rounds to none into the final frame. However, that's when Condit picked up the pace, hurting MacDonald throughout the final frame and finishing the fight with seconds remaining. It's the only time the young fighter has tasted defeat, and it's a memory that doesn't sit well with him.
"I respect him completely, he's one of the guys I respect most in the sport," MacDonald said of Condit in an interview with ESPN UK. "His outlook and his attitude is great. But I feel like I was embarrassed in that fight. I want to prove to myself and the world that I am the better fighter and I want revenge for the embarrassment I felt that night.
"Everyone has their own opinion of the fight, but at the end of the day I lost and was embarrassed. It is what it is. I plan to be the world champ."
Penick's Analysis: MacDonald's bounced back nicely with three wins, but they've been against much lesser competition than Condit. This fight with Penn is a chance to continue that move back, and a win would be the biggest of his career. A rematch with Condit is almost assuredly an inevitability given how the first fight played out, and both fighters will be among the top end of the division for the foreseeable future. MacDonald wants that opportunity, and with a win over Penn he might be in the running to get that fight.
(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
