Latest news with #UFC189
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rory MacDonald opens door for MMA return after clawing his way back from burnout, disappointment
UFC Hall of Famer Rory MacDonald is getting that itch again. Three years have passed since MacDonald retired in the aftermath of a first-round loss to Dilano Taylor in the PFL. The former Bellator welterweight champion and one-time UFC title challenger seemingly abandoned the sport he'd devoted his life to afterward, however MacDonald, 36, has recently returned to training as hard and as often as he did in his prime. Speaking on Tuesday's edition of Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," MacDonald left the door open for a possible in-cage return. "I don't know, but I'm back in the gym full time," MacDonald said of fighting again. "It's got me loving training again, that's for sure. I don't know what that will lead to, but I'm enjoying my time in martial arts again. It just feels good. "I'm training twice a day, three times a day. It is more than staying in shape, for sure. I'm trying to improve myself. There's nothing for sure, I'm just having fun at this point and I'm letting God just take the direction in my life — and where the doors open, if there's opportunities, I'm going down that path." MacDonald parted ways with the UFC after his unanimous decision loss to Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson in June 2016. From there, MacDonald instantly made an impact in Bellator, choking out Paul Daley the following year and then dethroning welterweight champion Douglas Lima. After fighting to a controversial draw with Jon Fitch in Bellator's 2019 welterweight tournament, MacDonald first mentioned feeling like something was missing within his fighting spirit. He continued on for eight more bouts with Bellator and PFL, but that feeling only worsened, leading to his eventual retirement. In that sense, MacDonald said, the total refresh of the past few years has been helpful. "The fire is always there, it's always part of me," he said. "I feel like that was put inside me from an early age. That competition and the love for martial arts. That never really died when I left. Even when I was burned out, I still carried that edge with me. Even though I'm at peace and everything, I'm happy and I'm in a much better life than what I was when I was in the UFC and in my career, but I still have that part of me that I think I'll carry for all of my life. "I was just burned out. And when you're tired of doing something for so long and not seeing results, I don't know — a lot of things that just didn't go your way, then you get disappointed about it, and it carries a heaviness about it. But time sometimes can heal." The Canadian legend was widely touted as a future titleholder upon his arrival to the UFC in 2010 as a teammate and protege of Georges St-Pierre. MacDonald came close to fulfilling that goal in his Hall of Fame rematch with Robbie Lawler at UFC 189 in 2015, but the UFC title ultimately eluded his career. The eventual accumulation of his setbacks is what resulted in his retirement, MacDonald said. He began competing professionally at the age of 16, making him a martial artist for more than half of his life. "I was just disappointed that I didn't accomplish my goals," MacDonald said. "I was just a little burned out from the sport and just needed that time away. I had other interests that I wanted to pursue. That's basically what I did. I just kind of cut ties with martial arts for a while and then went down and explored some different interests of mine. "I didn't watch anything, didn't really keep up with the date much. I wasn't training for at least a year or so, I would say. Then I got back in the gym and training and watching shortly in small amounts. "I think the main reason was being burned out about it and disappointment of how things went, and just a mixture of both of that. Being burned out, not having the drive and interest anymore and disappointment about not accomplishing things. But I'm grateful for it because the last three years have given me a lot of time to do a lot of self-work and look internally, reminisce about memories and things like that. It was really good for me." MacDonald said his first encounter with Lima in 2018 is where things all changed for him. At the time, his free agency had marked a significant shift in the MMA landscape, with Bellator offering him a contract that was substantially better than what he'd been paid in his longtime UFC home. In the end, life became overwhelming for "The Red King," but he's finally managed to balance things out. "It was after the first Douglas Lima fight — I think taking all that damage, I think making better money, that was a distraction," MacDonald admitted, "and the lifestyle that comes with it, and just adjusting to that. I think I had to grow up and adjust to that. It definitely started after the Lima fight, where I just kind of lost my passion. I would have mixed results in my fights after that, I find. "It was interesting timing. I had new family that was unplanned. Suddenly, I'm a family man. Then my faith turned around big time, I was navigating that. All this money pouring in, it was a lot to handle at the time for me, I think."
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Dustin Poirier confirms Lil Wayne walkout at UFC 318 ahead of BMF title fight against Max Holloway
Dustin Poirier won't be the only New Orleans icon walking to the cage for the UFC 318 main event on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center. After teasing it in recent weeks, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) confirmed Wednesday that rap legend Lil Wayne will walk out with him for his final UFC appearance. However, Poirier said he's not straying from his traditional walkout track. ter'It will be a little bit of James Brown, a little bit of Wayne,' Poirier told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference. 'Yeah, Wayne's walking out with me. … I have to [stick with the James Brown song]. I've paid the cost to be the boss. On my last one, I can't go that far away from it. I need to hear that. I need to feel that vibe before I fight someone.' Lil Wayne has long been a vocal UFC supporter and an avid Poirier fan, often posting about fights on social media. His appearance marks a rare celebrity walkout moment, though it's unclear if he'll perform during the entrance. Historically, the UFC has discouraged live walkout performances, with a few exceptions — most notably at UFC 189, when Conor McGregor walked out to Sinead O'Connor singing 'Foggy Dew.' More recently, celebrities like Jack Black, Kyle Gass (UFC 296), and Mark Zuckerberg (UFC 298) have accompanied fighters. Poirier, 36, will face Max Holloway for the BMF title in Saturday's main event, airing on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier confirms Lil Wayne will partake in UFC 318 walkout
NEW ORLEANS – Dustin Poirier won't be the only New Orleans icon walking to the cage when his music hits for the UFC 318 main event Saturday at Smoothie King Center. After hinting at the possibility in recent weeks, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) confirmed Wednesday that rap legend Lil Wayne will accompany him during his final UFC walk. Lil Wayne's presence won't deter Poirier from sticking with his classic walkout music, however. Poirier will still walk to James Brown's "The Boss" as he long has. "It will be a little bit of James Brown, a little bit of Wayne," Poirier told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. "Yeah, Wayne's walking out with me. ... I have to (stick with the James Brown song). I've paid the cost to be the boss. On my last one, I can't go that far away from it. I need to hear that. I need to feel that vibe before I fight someone." Lil Wayne has long been a UFC fan, and particularly a Poirier fan, often posting on social media during fight nights. It's unclear if Wayne will perform in any capacity. The UFC and Dana White have long expressed their disinterest in live walkout performances, with the exception of UFC 189 when Conor McGregor walked out to Sinead O'Connor performing "Foggy Dew" and Chad Mendes walked out to Aaron Lewis performing "Country Boy." However, White has been open to celebrities making the walk with fighters, like when Jack Black and Kyle Gass accompanied Stephen Thompson to the cage at UFC 296 in December 2023, or when Mark Zuckerberg walked out with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024. Poirier, 36, fights Max Holloway for the BMF title in the main event Saturday. The bout will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two-time UFC Hall of Famer Robbie Lawler finally\u00a0can admit: 'I was special'
LAS VEGAS – Robbie Lawler now is one of seven fighters to hold a place in two wings of the UFC Hall of Fame after his individual induction during the 13th Annual International Fight Week. In addition to holding a place in the Fight Wing for his unforgettable war with Rory MacDonald at UFC 189, Lawler (36-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC) was enshrined in the Modern Wing of athletes this past week for a standout career that included capturing and defending the UFC welterweight title. "Ruthless" has been a man of few words throughout his career, but on the night where his career was spotlighted in front of the masses, he opened up about the self-belief that got him to this point, despite many setbacks along the way. "It does (mean more that the Fight Wing induction) because that's a moment in time, (but) this is a lot of moments," Lawler told MMA Junkie on the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame red carpet. "This is the ups and the downs of the sport, the young kid coming in with a lot of promise. It's the story and it's a good story and it shows a lot of hard work and belief in myself. Not just belief in myself, but belief in me to help get me to where I am today. It's not just for me. It's for those people. It's for the fans who really appreciate it. "I always thought I was great. I'm humble, but I always thought I was special. I thought I had something and that's why I did it for so long because I wanted to go out there and show the world who I was, and I think I did a pretty good job of it." Lawler, 43, consistently points back to his passion for fighting as his primary and continued incentive in MMA. It's showed after his retirement, because he serves as a primary coach at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, which is among the top gyms in the sport. Although Lawler admits cornering and coaching doesn't provide the same buzz as competition, he is happy with the memories and opportunities his UFC Hall of Fame worthy career provided. "I just wanted to go out there and fight and do what I love to do, which is knock people out and train," Lawler said. "I'm like, 'They're going to pay me to freaking fight and freaking train?' That's why I got into it. I knew at a very young age as a teenager I was going to go full-time into fighting. To be able to do this at the level I've done it and for as long as I've done it, it's just quite an accomplishment to be where I am today."
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robbie Lawler reveals his secret motivation for iconic Rory MacDonald win at UFC 189: 'I didn't say anything'
Robbie Lawler was one of the most beloved fighters of any era. (Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Robbie Lawler was known as "Ruthless" for a reason. The 2025 UFC Hall of Fame inductee delivered some of the most epic knockouts and fights in MMA history throughout his 22-year career. Lawler's entry into the Hall later this month will be his second after his legendary rematch with Rory MacDonald entered the Fight Wing in 2023. Arguably the greatest fight of all time, Lawler vs. MacDonald 2 stands out on its own despite being part of one of the sport's most memorable events, 2015's UFC 189 pay-per-view. In hindsight, it's easy to forget the fight preceded the evening's headliner, the interim featherweight title clash between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes. Advertisement Lawler revealed on Wednesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show" how his co-main event position for his first welterweight title defense was much more of a motivational factor than he ever let on. "Leading up to that fight, Rory never realized it, but we were second fiddle that whole freaking build-up to that fight," Lawler said. "I'm like, 'Oh, they're putting me on the undercard of [original headliner Jose] Aldo and freaking McGregor.' So I'm just freaking training like they're disrespecting me. "I get it. Aldo's the freaking man, Conor is the up-and-comer. But I'm the heavier guy. So, I'm freaking training hard. Like, really freaking hard. And I actually had time to freaking relax after [having five fights in] 13 months [beforehand]. So I was able to rest and put in a hard freaking camp for him — and I had something to prove. Then, two weeks before the fight, Aldo's out and they put in freaking Mendes, and I'm still the undercard. I didn't say anything. I wasn't pissed. I was like, 'OK.' It is what it was, alright. So that's who he (MacDonald) was fighting, too. 'I'm the freaking guy,' was what I was thinking." Advertisement If there's one moment outside the cage to summarize the ruthless nature of Lawler, it'd be the famous line he delivered in response to a question about McGregor's loss to Nate Diaz the following year. Rather than take McGregor's neck and submit the Irishman like Diaz did with a rear-naked choke at UFC 196, Lawler flatly stated he would've instead taken the McGregor's soul. Lawler, 43, won 22 of his 30 victories by knockout and only once submitted an opponent very early in his pro career. For the former UFC welterweight champion, that was just never his style. "He (Diaz) did just freaking take his (McGregor's) neck and freaking let him off the hook," Lawler said. "He could have done whatever he wanted. ... I want to beat people up. That's how I fought. Advertisement "It's kind of funny because I'm coaching guys, and in the UFC I had zero submission attempts." "In my eyes, and in my head, I was always thinking, 'If you submit somebody, there's tricks, right?' There's little tricks like, 'Oh, he tricked me.' But if you whoop somebody's ass, then there was really no trick to that." That train of thought may lead one to believe Lawler went out of his way to prove himself in an old-school "tough-guy" fashion. But Lawler assures that was never a concern. He fought how he felt was right for him. If someone bested him, it was what it was. Advertisement "I would tap. I would never go to sleep. That's stupid," Lawler said. "Oxygen away from your brain. What does that prove? If you got, you got me." Lawler has been enjoying life outside the Octagon since his instantly iconic retirement fight against Niko Price in July 2023. In one of the most perfect sendoff performances ever seen in combat sports, Lawler knocked out his tough-as-nails opponent in a mere 38 seconds, leaving the fight world begging for more. Nearly a year and a half later, Lawler has stayed true to his retirement promise, but not without a little enticement to return. Bare-knuckle boxing leader BKFC has openly done its best to bring Lawler back sans gloves for a showdown against the promotion's top star, Mike Perry. And while Lawler likes the concept, he's still under contract with the UFC and hasn't seriously entertained a return. "Not really," Lawler responded when asked if BKFC is a real possibility. "They touched base probably January of last year, and this is where we are today. So, you tell me. I never say never to anything, but I'm retired. We have to cross those paths [with figuring out his UFC status] when we need to. "A fight's a fight, right? [Bare-knuckle is] how I first started fighting. ... To me, a fight's a fight. Knees to the head of a grounded opponent, soccer kick, stomps, that's fighting. When I fought in Hawaii, we had all those rules. You weren't safe anywhere. If you were in a front headlock position, you probably shouldn't hang out there because you'd probably be getting kneed in the head. So there's just more stuff to worry about and no resting spot."
