Rory MacDonald reflects on iconic Robbie Lawler fight at UFC 189, believes losing was for the best: "I felt like a loser at that point"

Rory MacDonald recently reflected on his loss against Robbie Lawler in their iconic rematch in July 2015. After Lawler beat MacDonald via split decision in their first encounter at UFC 167 in November 2013, the two men threw down in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 189 in July 2015. The fight was contested over five rounds with the UFC welterweight title on the line.

Their rematch was a thrilling back-and-forth affair with both fighters showcasing their tenacity and grit as the rounds went by. Lawler ultimately managed to secure a hard-fought knockout victory over MacDonald in the fifth round, with their blood-soaked fight winning the 'Fight of the Night' and the 'Fight of the Year' awards.

Their bout was eventually inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2023, with many combat sports fans still considering the Lawler-MacDonald fight to be the greatest UFC bout of all time.

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In an interview with Ariel Helwani, MacDonald reflected on the legendary fight and claimed his knockout loss was probably for the best. He said:

"It was a great lesson and taught me so much about myself and martial arts... I don't have any bad feelings at all, and I'm glad it came out the way it did... I think it was meant to be that I didn't win that fight. I don't think it would have been any good for me with where I was in my life at that point to carry that. I don't think I was mature enough."

When Rory MacDonald got 100% real about potentially returning to action

Rory MacDonald has no plans of making a return to fighting and made that clear during a UFC Q&A session back in May. MacDonald called it a career in 2022, retiring with a professional MMA record of 23-10-1.

Addressing a question regarding his potential return to fighting, MacDonald strongly dismissed the idea and stated:

"I mean, from time to time, [the desire] has come back. But shortly after, when I actually think about it and what it entails, I’m not that kind of person anymore. I don’t have the drive, the intensity it takes to be at a championship level anymore. Sometimes it’s nice to dream when you’re having a lot of coffee or something, but when the reality comes back down to it... No, it’s not for me anymore."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.