Rory MacDonald made a successful promotional debut at Bellator 179, where he submitted Paul Daley in the second round with a rear naked choke.
The Canadian star feels that the promotion he once called home, the UFC, made a huge mistake by letting him walk away.
“Maybe [the UFC] should be a little more cautious on how easy they let things slip through their fingers,” he said on The MMA Hour. “Because, like I’ve tried to say in the past, fighters can’t always be on 24/7 every single time they step into the ring. So you have to allow for these performances that aren’t up to par, that you would normally see. I think they definitely messed up when they let me go. That’s their fault and Bellator’s gain, you know?”
MacDonald did have a successful run during his time in the UFC, including a shot at them UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 189.
Fight week proved to be an easy one for MacDonald and he credits Bellator MMA for making things go so well.
“I thought it was fantastic,” he said. “I was very happy with it. Everything went very smooth. Probably the best weigh-in procedure I’ve ever been through. It was very comfortable and smooth the way they ran it. Didn’t give me any headaches as far as running around and suffering for a long time. I was very happy with the weigh-in procedure. As far as media, it was awesome. They really respected what I need out of fight week, but at the same time promoting the fight. We worked together and we got the job done, and it was done right. I was very happy with the way Bellator treated me and everything leading up.”
Although a date for the fight has yet to be set, the next time fans will see MacDonald in the cage is going to be for a shot at the Bellator MMA Welterweight Title.
