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Following his underwhelming run in the PFL, Rory MacDonald has today announced his immediate retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts.
Stepping up on short notice to face the veteran, Dilano Taylor made short work of 'Red King' with a TKO just four minutes into the first round. This serves as the Canadian's sixth loss since leaving the UFC in 2016. It signals the end of a career for a fighter many believed would become one of the greats.
In an emotional and heartwarming Instagram post, Rory MacDonald recapped his 17-year career, showing appreciation to everybody who helped him along his journey through MMA.
"My time has come to put the gloves down for good. im so thankful for this sport and every person ive been able to meet along the way. i started this sport as a 14 year old kid, i still remember my first day and knowing this is what i wanna spend my life doing...
"what an adventure this career has been, 17 years of professional fighting. it all came and went so fast...thank you to the ufc, bellator, pfl for the opportunity to fight on the world stage."
MacDonald retires with a record of 23 wins, 10 losses, and one draw. He will always be remembered for fighting through adversity and sharing with us some of the greatest moments we'll ever witness in the sport.
The 33-year-old was 1-4 in his last five outings. Despite being relatively young, it seems like the perfect time for everybody involved for the veteran to hang up the gloves.
Rory MacDonald's greatest moment in the UFC
During his peak in the UFC, Rory MacDonald was a force many fans assumed would become a titleholder with the promotion. That day almost arrived on July 11, 2015.
MacDonald beat Nate Diaz, B.J. Penn, Jake Ellenberger, Demian Maia, and Tyron Woodley to go 8-1 in nine appearances. The well-rounded welterweight was then pitted against the savagery of Robbie Lawler to compete for the 170lb world title.
The back-and-forth scrap saw both men almost claim victory, with MacDonald just a couple of strikes away from finishing 'Ruthless' and obtaining UFC gold. After failing to make his opponent pay, the Canada-native was dropped and finished early in the fifth round. This put an end to one of the best fights in company history.
