Rory MacDonald Relieved Talk Of Fighting GSP Is Gone (For Now)

No. 4-ranked UFC Welterweight contender Rory “Ares” MacDonald was long thought to be good friend and training partner Georges St. Pierre’s rightful heir to the UFC 170-pound throne.

However, after a tumultuous 2013 that saw MacDonald win a highly lackluster decision over Jake Ellenberger at UFC on FX 8 and lose a split decision to current title challenger Robbie Lawler at UFC 167, MacDonald has some sorting out to do before he’s back in title talks.

He admitted he had lost a lot of fire for the sport last year, something that he ‘s claimed to have rediscovered heading his bout against Demian Maia at tonight’s UFC 170 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MacDonald feels 2014 is a new year that should turn out much better than last year. According to him, a big part of that is the absence pressure of having to talk about fighting “GSP”:

“There is less pressure having to respond to the question ‘when are you going to fight him?’ and ‘why aren’t you going to fight him?’ and this and that. So that whole thing is gone, so that’s a relief.” – via MMA Fighting

Indeed it would be a relief, because as MacDonald matured and got closer to title contention the subject of him fighting St. Pierre came up in every single interview. It was a tiring process that dissipated once St. Pierre vacated his welterweight crown after UFC 167 to take some time off from the sport.

Now the 24-year-old MacDonald can focus on what he’s loves best, and that’s fighting. He still only has two losses on his record, so a win over Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Maia will have him right back in the thick of things. A loss, however, would be devastating for his momentum; yet he still has a ton of time to carve his path to the belt.

Heading into one of the most pivotal bouts of his young career, MacDonald sounded calm in his assessment of where’s he at:

“I’m just doing my own thing, one fight at a time on my own journey to the title. There was never a shadow cast upon me with Georges.”

MacDonald is smart in his view of focusing on one bout at a time. But, like it or not, there was a very large shadow cast upon him when he was under St. Pierre’s tutelage. He no longer has to field those questions or have it hanging over his head, but it could return quite quickly if he wins tonight and St. Pierre comes back before the year is up.

Will MacDonald use his new focus and lack of pressure to live up to his full potential against a tough opponent at UFC 170, or will his lackluster run spill over into 2014/

Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports