Rory MacDonald Will Fight Neiman Gracie, But Future Still Uncertain

Rory MacDonald will fight Neiman Gracie in the next round of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix, but will that be “The Red King’s” last fight?

According to MacDonald, it’s too early to tell.

“I can’t really give a definitive answer (about my future),” MacDonald said after keeping his belt in a controversial draw against Jon Fitch at Saturday’s Bellator 220 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif (via MMAJunkie). “It’s an hour after the experience. But I’m going to sit back, I’m going to pray, and I’m going to see what God has in store for me, see what doors open up. But my plans right now are to go to the next stage and compete against Neiman (Gracie).”

MacDonald retained his title even though his fight with Jon Fitch was ruled a majority draw. The crowd did not like that as Fitch is from the San Jose area. MacDonald himself seemed surprised when Bellator President Scott Coker handed him the belt.

The champion then went on to publicly question whether or not he has “that same drive to hurt people anymore.”

“I was expressing what I felt in my heart, what I was going through,” he said. “I was trying to be honest,” MacDonald said of his post-fight comments.

MacDonald said this 10-week fight camp was different in that he made an even more intense connection with God. He believes that likely had something to do with his recent change of heart.

“I think it has something to do with it because I do believe God has another chapter in my life,” he told MMA Junkie. “I don’t feel like I’m just going to be a fighter and that’s it. I feel like as I move forward and closer to God, he’s got something else in store for me, and that’s really exciting for me because I can feel it in my heart.”

As for the fight. MacDonald thought he did enough to get his hand raised but in this crazy sport you just never know. Still, the “Red King” thought there was a chance he could lose.

“When it’s a judge’s decision to call the fight, you never know,” he said. “You can win five rounds and lose a judges’ decision.”

So MacDonald will fight at least one more time against Gracie so long as the champ’s faith doesn’t get in the way of sport. But in typical MacDonald fashion, he left us with a cryptic message.

“There is another door opening on the horizon,” he said. “When that is and what it is, I don’t know. But we’ll see.”