Rory MacDonald’s Bellator Debut Won’t Be Until Summer 2017

Bellator made another major signing within the last week, snapping up one of the UFC’s top welterweight talents, Rory MacDonald, but don’t expect to see the Canadian star making his debut in the promotion any time soon.

Due to the fact that the 27 year-old has broken his nose in his last two fights against Robbie Lawler and Stephen Thompson, MacDonald revealed at a Bellator press conference that he’s going to take a full year out to let it heal properly.

“It’s gonna be in 2017,” MacDonald said of his Bellator debut. “I’m gonna say summer, but we’ll see what happens. It could be before that but definitely 2017.

“I want to give my nose 100 percent time to heal. Last time I didn’t treat it the way I was supposed to,” he added. “I was too hungry to get back in the gym, to get in there and spar with guys to fight. That’s just in me to just go all the time. But I really have to pump brakes on this one because I can’t be taking a year off between every fight. That’s just not what I’m about. I’m gonna give it the time it needs to heal back to 100 percent, then hopefully I can fight once a quarter.”

Ross launched MMA Insight (previously FightOfTheNight.com) in 2009 as a way to channel his passion for the sport of mixed martial arts. He's since penned countless news stories and live fight reports along with dozens of feature articles as the lead writer for the site, reaching millions of fans in the process.