Rory MacDonald pressed forward aggressively after missing a head-kick and eating a right hand. Although physically immature, his technique and fight IQ were already elite. Fans in a small Prince George, B.C., venue cheered on this literal boy amongst men as he timed takedowns perfectly, struck accurately, worked ground-and-pound and guard passes effectively before sinking in a rear-naked choke and forcing his opponent into submission.
This was the scene on Feb. 11, 2006 at a King of the Cage Canada event when a 16-year-old MacDonald beat 22-year-old Muay Thai striker Ken Tran in a mere 2 1/2 minutes to earn his second professional win.
Getting a smile out of the stoic MacDonald as his UFC 189 title fight against Robbie Lawler approaches is near impossible. But have him reminisce about these moments when his MMA career was in its infancy and you just might succeed.
“Recently my original coach sent me a bunch of footage of all my old fights and interviews before the UFC, so I watched through them and it was hilarious to see where I came from and it brought back a lot of memories of where I started, where my mindset was in each fight,” MacDonald, now 25, said at a press event in Toronto back in May. “It’s been an exceptional journey and there has been a lot of growth.”
A lot of growth indeed.
It was evident from the beginning that MacDonald had a bright future in the sport and he was labelled a “future UFC champion” early on.
It’s a label few athletes can live up to, but MacDonald seemed destined for it. Watching him in his pre-UFC days was like watching Sidney Crosby on the Rimouski Oceanic. You knew you were witnessing a special kind of athlete and that it was only a matter of time before they reached the pinnacle of their respective sport.
From the moment MacDonald began training in mixed martial arts at the age of 14, he lived and breathed the lifestyle and has improved dramatically each year. He now has a chance to become just the third Canadian champion in UFC history.
The first was Carlos Newton with the second of course being Georges St-Pierre — both welterweights like MacDonald.
One storyline heading into Saturday’s fight is the fact MacDonald will attempt to avenge a split decision loss to Lawler that occurred in November 2013.
Another, however, revolves around St-Pierre.
The superstar’s shadow still looms large over the 170-pound division, which has been the case since he walked away from the sport as champion nearly two years ago — coincidentally GSP’s last fight was at UFC 167, the same event where Lawler and MacDonald first met.
MacDonald has the opportunity to follow in St-Pierre’s footsteps and bring the belt back to Canada, but their connection goes much deeper than that. MacDonald wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for St-Pierre. And that’s not speaking from a “GSP opened the door and inspired many Canadian fighters” standpoint. St-Pierre had a direct impact on the fighter and person MacDonald has become.
This is because the two have been training partners for years. MacDonald, a native of Quesnel, B.C., first made the trip to Montreal to train with St-Pierre and Firas Zahabi at the Tristar Gym when he was 18. He set up shop there permanently when he was 20.
“Georges was a major part in my evolution as a martial artist,” MacDonald said at a Q&A in Montreal in April. “Not only in the gym…but outside of the gym Georges really helped me as well. Talking to me, guiding me, telling me what to look out for. Georges has been a major influence in my career.”
As St-Pierre added at that Q&A, their relationship is a two-way street. “I influenced Rory, but Rory influenced me too,” he said. “Rory played a big role in my success as well, so it goes both ways.”
Although he’s not actively competing, St-Pierre still trains and helped MacDonald prepare for his rematch with Lawler.
There are a number of clear parallels between MacDonald and St-Pierre heading into UFC 189 besides the Canadian connection and the fact they train together.
When GSP first won the title in 2006 he did so at age 25, just like MacDonald can. He also did it while simultaneously avenging a loss to Matt Hughes, a longtime training partner and mentor to Lawler.
There is a sense of kismet in the air, no?
If MacDonald can win the belt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (the last venue GSP competed in) on Saturday, perhaps he can finally be the one that takes the baton St-Pierre left behind. Johny Hendricks couldn’t run with it when he won the vacant title and Lawler is in the process of trying to run with it.
Despite all the connections, if MacDonald is victorious, don’t expect him to be the saviour of MMA in this country the way GSP was when UFC president Dana White dubbed Canada as the mecca of MMA years ago.
He is not “GSP 2.0” as some have referred to him and it was never his goal to be compared to his friend or become the flag bearer of Canadian MMA.
“It’s good to get recognition from the country, but it’s not my main goal or anything,” MacDonald added.
Instead, having that belt strapped around his waist will be the culmination of a decade of dedication to a sport ingrained in MacDonald’s psyche. That teenager who used to beat up grown men for money is now a refined master of his craft presented with an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream.
MacDonald thinks he is the best in the world at the moment. He has a chance to prove it and write a new chapter in UFC welterweight history. If he does, who knows, maybe we’ll even witness him crack another smile.