Rory MacDonald made it no secret that he was going to be testing free agency after his fight with Stephen Thompson at UFC Fight Night 89.
His fight with ‘Wonderboy’, which marked MacDonald’s second consecutive loss, was the last fight on his UFC contract and the Canadian announced in March that he wanted ‘to make the most money’ he could.
According to Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie, MacDonald has backed up his claims and begun discussing options with Bellator.
Bellator President Scott Coker told me they have begun a line of communication with Rory MacDonald in the hopes of signing the free agent.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 14, 2016
Bloody Elbow’s Nick Baldwin says that Bellator declined his request for comment.
Since the UFC’s partnership with Reebok in 2014, which has resulted in criticisms of fighter pay, several athletes have jumped ship to Scott Coker’s Bellator in hopes of a more lucrative future. Benson Henderson, Matt Mitrione, and Phil Davis are amongst those who recently joined the promotion.
UFC Fight Night 89 marked the first time MacDonald had ever dropped two consecutive losses and it’s unlikely that the 26-year-old will challenge for the title in the foreseeable future.
MacDonald is considered one of the most talented fighters on the UFC roster and is currently ranked as the No. 2 welterweight in the world.
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