It appears as if Bellator has landed yet another free agent.
Former UFC Welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald is near finalizing a deal with Bellator MMA, according to MMA Fighting. The outlet states that MacDonald's management was informed this week that the UFC weren't matching MacDonald's contract offer made by Bellator.
The deal is far from official, but is likely to be completed soon. The UFC even removed MacDonald from their Welterweight rankings.
MacDonald spent over six years with the UFC, earning a 9-4 record along the way. He went as far as to challenge for the UFC Welterweight Championship in 2015 against Robbie Lawler, which is widely considered among the best fights of all time. MacDonald dropped the fight via TKO when his nose broke. MacDonald most recently fought in June, losing to Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision.
At 27-years old, MacDonald has plenty of fights ahead of him, but Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting says he's planning a Bellator debut in early 2017.
In the past, Bellator has lured Ben Henderson, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and others away from the UFC.
