SAN JOSE, Calif. – Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald is known as one of the gutsiest fighters in the sport.
Initially known as “The Waterboy,” he changed his nickname to “Ares” and then “The Red King” in apparent homage to his comfort with blood.
But these days, MacDonald (20-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is driven by something other than a taste for violence, and that’s his spirituality.
“God called me to him while I was in this sport just a few years ago,” he told MMA Junkie in advance of his DAZN-streamed title fight against Jon Fitch (32-7-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in the Bellator welterweight grand prix, which takes place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
MacDonald, 29, attends a Pentacostal church with his wife, who invited him to attend when they met. Initially unconvinced, he said he’s grown more close than ever to God in the past three months.
“For me, I have more peace, I have joy, I’m happy, and I don’t have that hardness in my heart,” he said. “I don’t have that pain that I was living with before.”
Of course, physical pain is an unavoidable part of MacDonald’s job. Every time he steps into the cage, his actions result in pain for him and his opponent. But he has no problem reconciling his violent work with his faith.
“It goes well together, because it’s been amazing to see when I’m growing closer to God and pursuing him, how much he blesses me and protects me and strengthens me,” he said. “It’s a great platform for me to talk about Jesus and how good God is, and once you give your live to Jesus, the changes you can make in your life.”
Training for Fitch, who hopes to cement his comeback with another major MMA title, MacDonald said he read the bible to “be more like Jesus every day.”
As a fighter, MacDonald is aiming to be the best version of himself. He anticipates a tough fight on Saturday against his grappling-centric opponent. But he expects to come out ahead and meet ex-champ Douglas Lima in the finals.
MacDonald took the welterweight title from Lima via decision when they met in January 2018. He has no plans on giving it up for the second go-around.
“It was a very close fight, a hard fight, and I envision next time we meet up, I’ll be more dominant,” he said. “I think I’m going to put Douglas away the next time we fight.”
To hear more from MacDonald, check out the video above.
For more on Bellator 220, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
