“I Was Just Trying To Survive And Fight As Hard As I Could” : Rory MacDonald On His Hall Of Fame Fight
UFC Hall of Famer and former welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald sat down for an extended interview on the Jaxxon Podcast. The Canadian fighter won over MMA fans with exciting victories against Nate Diaz and B.J. Penn. However, it was his back and forth war with Robbie Lawler in their second bout for the UFC title that earned Rory immortality in the sport. The bout was electrifying, featuring four rounds of relentless non stop action. Undoubtedly, the stare between both men at the end of the fourth round remains one of the most iconic moments in MMA history. This fight was voted Fight of the Year in 2015 and was eventually inducted into the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023. Rory would go on to have only one more fight with the promotion before signing with Bellator MMA. He won their welterweight title before ultimately ending his fighting career with the PFL in 2022.
Behind the Poker Face: Rory MacDonald on Pain, Survival, and Mindset
This epic fight was brought up during the podcast interview. When asked by Rampage Jackson and co-host Bear about his second fight with Robbie, Bear said, “Your Robbie Lawler fight was bloody and nothing would happen to you.”
Rampage interjects, “Like the Terminator.”
Bear continues, “You got to walk me through this.”
The soft-spoken Rory stated, “I had a good poker face, but I was suffering. From round two on, it sucked. I was trying to keep myself composed and try to not show I was damaged.”
Rory then described to the men what it was like to fight Robbie. “If you show weakness, or that you’re hurt. A guy like Robbie is a shark in the water. He’s just going to go for the kill. I felt like I still had energy and I needed to just not be a pussy and keep fighting. It’s just a broken nose.”
Bear asked Rory if he remembered what his coaches were saying to him between rounds. “I don’t remember any corner advice in that fight. I was on adrenalin. Survival, fight or flight. I was just trying to survive and fight as hard as I could.”
A major sign of respect came from former champion Rampage Jackson, who commented, “Can you imagine the mental strength fighters must have to, like he said, keep that poker face?
Bear replied, “You guys are a different breed.”
Rory was then asked how he keeps his killer mindset in the cage. “It’s your will to win,” said Rory. “I think it comes from inside. How far are you willing to go to get that win? Some people are willing to go further and suffer more than others. You see guys who maybe on paper or visually aren’t as good. Doesn’t have the right skills, doesn’t come from a big training camp, but you see their fighting spirit is strong. They came in willing to fight to the death. That makes a drastic difference how a fight can play out in my opinion.”
Rampage very eloquently followed up with, “You don’t really have to be a fighter have this inside you.”
Rory remains a great ambassador for the sport. He is smart and articulate. With possibly the greatest fight of all time under his belt, along with wins over storied competition, this podcast is a must-listen for any MMA fan.
