HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – While many may think Ray Cooper III’s bout on Friday night will be the biggest of his career, Cooper III disagrees.
The 2019 PFL welterweight champion takes on former Bellator champion and UFC contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of 2021 PFL Playoffs 1 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. It’s a big name for Cooper (22–7–1) and a big fight, as it serves as the semifinal of the 2021 PFL welterweight season.
But despite the stakes, the headliner placement, and recognized opponent, Cooper doesn’t feel the bout with MacDonald is as big as people are making it out to be.
“The fight doesn’t feel that big, I guess it does (to people), but to me, it’s just another fight,” Cooper said. “It’s just playoffs. My main goal is to get past this fight and get into the finals match.”
One of the main reasons why Friday’s bout might not have the big-fight feel for Cooper is that the Hawaiian isn’t too impressed with MacDonald’s recent body of work.
“He came off losses in the UFC, and he came off losing his Bellator belt to Douglas Lima, and then now he’s coming here saying he’s going to be the champion,” Cooper said. “I think his career has been inconsistent lately. I really don’t see any problems from him.
“I don’t think he has anything to offer me, so yeah.”
Many thought the Cooper-MacDonald bout was better suited for the final given they’re arguably the two biggest names in the tournament. The 28-year-old doesn’t mind to be meeting MacDonald in the semis, as he’s got his eye on a rematch with Magomed Magomedkerimov, who beat Cooper in 2018 and finds himself on the other side of the bracket.
“I feel like fighting him right now is the best thing,” Cooper said. “I got the best side of the bracket, so I take him out and move on to the finals so I can face the winner of Sy or Magomed. I’d really like my rematch with Magomed Magomedkerimov.
