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VIEWPOINT: MMA�S LATEST VILLAIN - Rory Macdonald

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#1 ·
VIEWPOINT: MMA’S LATEST VILLAIN - Rory Macdonald

I find it strange that he's become a villain, cuz I don't think he has the personality to become one. At least not like the conventional archetypal villains like Chael or Koscheck. Instead he personifies himself as someone who's misunderstood and borderline.

UFC on Fox 5 provided viewers with a smorgasbord of MMA goodness on Saturday, with plenty of fodder for water cooler and forum discussion in the coming days.

There was the all-around brilliance of Benson Henderson, who generated as much buzz for his alleged toothpick wizardry as he did for his stifling dominance of Nate Diaz. There was the continued progression of promising light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson, who dismissed former 205-pound champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the co-main event and proclaimed himself to be the division’s No. 1 contender shortly thereafter. There was the proliferation of 10-8 rounds, raising further questions as to what truly constitutes overwhelming dominance. Finally, there was a little bit of promotional gamesmanship, as Bellator Fighting Championships had the audacity to buy a commercial spot for its upcoming season on Spike TV during the Fox broadcast.

Through it all, Rory MacDonald remained the compelling figure of the evening.

Somewhere along the line, between the awkward “Road to the Octagon” segments, the unnerving sound bites and the dissect-and-taunt act against a faded legend, MacDonald became the most unlikeable character in the UFC on Fox 5 ensemble.

Before you unload on me for making a mountain out of a molehill, remember that unlikeable is a relative term. By most accounts, MacDonald is a quiet, unassuming kid who dropped everything to train at the Tristar Gym in Montreal and is now making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He does not have a criminal record. He is not a dirty fighter. He seems to want to do things the right way. For all I know, MacDonald could be the most decorated human being this side of Tim Tebow.

Yet, behind my unbiased-member-of-the-media facade, I found it exceedingly easy to root against MacDonald, even against an opponent as polarizing as B.J. Penn. Clearly I was not alone in this endeavor, as it appeared that the majority of those in attendance at Seattle’s Key Arena shared my sentiments. The dislike for MacDonald was about more than mere national pride; remember, Tristar Gym teammate and fellow Canadian Georges St. Pierre is among the most popular fighters and biggest pay-per-view draws in the sport today.

It was not just a groundswell of support for Penn, either. The Hawaiian is undoubtedly one of the sport’s all-time greats, but he can be plenty abrasive when he wants to be. No, this was more about MacDonald than it was about anyone -- or anything -- else.


File Photo: Sherdog.com

Condit taught “Ares” a lesson.
The 23-year-old dresses like a Bond villain, sounds like Hannibal Lecter’s apprentice and fights like the heir apparent to St. Pierre’s welterweight throne. He does not ooze charisma and charm, quite the opposite in fact, but his affinity for the Octagon means he is going to be around for quite some time, like it or not.

“I’d like people to think that I’m a good person, that I’m pretty easy to talk to,” MacDonald said during an interview on the UFC on Fox 5 “Road to the Octagon” show. “I’m quiet, obviously, until I get comfortable with people, but that’s just who I am. I think it’d just be nice if people accepted who people were, you know?”

Stardom does not really work that way. The average fan cannot relate to the fact that MacDonald and his good pal, “The Ultimate Fighter 16” finalist Mike Ricci, almost threw down over a pair of red pants. They do not understand why the precocious Canadian chose to taunt Penn when a finish appeared within reach. As the jeers rained down on him in the aftermath of his one-sided decision against “The Prodigy,” MacDonald did little to sway the popular opinion when he insisted on taking the microphone from UFC analyst Joe Rogan.

“There’s a guy that humiliated me a couple years ago and I want my revenge,” MacDonald said, as if recalling a high school bully from years gone by. “Carlos Condit -- I want a rematch. Accept my challenge. Let’s do it in March. I’m going to get my revenge.”

Cue the ominous music, some maniacal laughter from MacDonald and then fade to black. That is how the Hollywood version would go, anyway.

Two-and-a-half years ago, a 20-year-old MacDonald came within seven seconds of defeating Condit at UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Likely ahead two rounds to none on the judges’ scorecards, MacDonald had no answer for Condit’s furious final ground-and-pound salvo that forced a stoppage to the bout mere moments from its conclusion. To this day, backers of MacDonald claim that Condit was fortunate to emerge victorious. Even then, MacDonald knew that luck had nothing to do with it.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t know what was going on,” MacDonald said after the loss. “I thought [it was] the end of the round until they called the TKO, but it was a just stoppage. He was kicking my ass.”

So what happened between then and now? After beating a man who has struggled against all welterweights not named Matt Hughes in recent years, what makes MacDonald so sure that he deserves another shot at an opponent who gave St. Pierre his stiffest test in recent memory?

MacDonald is a better, more confident fighter than he was in 2010, and he is clearly coming into his own as a high-level contender in the division. Part of that growth process involves personality. While labeling someone a heel seems like it should be reserved for the sports entertainment set, it applies to the world of mixed martial arts. MacDonald seems to have fallen into this role by default, but it has its advantages.

On the basis of his talents alone, MacDonald will remain beloved in his home country. Acceptance could be hard to come by elsewhere, particularly from those who were turned off by his display of arrogance against Penn during the fight and his awkwardness after. Neither, of course, is a concern to MacDonald himself.

Regardless of how you perceive him, MacDonald is right where he needs to be. As MMA’s newest villain, he is simply too good to be ignored.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Viewpoint-MMAs-Latest-Villain-48097
 
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#4 ·
I personally think Rory has a great attitude, and I find his lack of interest in the media both hilarious and compelling. The kid is honest, and he's a monster. Rory is going to be around for a very long time, and will likely wear gold at 170, 185, or both.

He was villianized because he was fighting the beloved BJ Penn... if Rory were to dominate Josh Koscheck in the same fashion he would have been applauded for "bullying the bully"... fact.
 
#5 ·
I really do think it is a combination of his accent and the way he says things. Even my wife commented that he sounded like a dick when he said, 'Growing up I idolized Penn. As a man I am afraid of no one. Penn's biggest mistake was taking this fight.' He didn't say anything we hadn't heard from other fighters before, just the way he says it bugs people.

Oh well, maybe when he and GSP fight they will sell it as the Ying & Yang fight?

I know, I know, they will never fight, I can dream can't I?
 
#6 ·
I think it really boils down to the fact that Rory gives off an awkward vibe. That awkwardness will put a lot of people off whether its in the lead up to the fight or right after.

Likely fans will come around to like Rory but he has to cut the crap with the taunting, shuffling and all that disrespectful behaviour. He was an absolute beast in that fight and likely will be for quite some time. He should take a page out of GSP's books and eat some humble pie and his image will benefit greatly.
 
#7 ·
If anything this whole situation just shows how fickle "casual MMA fans are". A guy show some talent as an up-and-comer... people cheer him on. Then he actually achieves success and people vilify him. Or they like a fighter until they beat up fighters than the "casual fan" liked when he was a kid. Or the young fighter shows some confidence (which you need to succeed) and suddenly he's "too damn cocky".

I think all of this just shows how flaky some "fans" are.
 
#8 ·
I'd say it's the combination of being well-spoken, humble, and doing it for the challenge as opposed to doing it because you HAVE to feed your family.

Most of the fighters are thanking jesus and fighting to pay for their kids etc. So when you get guys like Rory & Richi who seem like spoiled brats in their early 20's it might be hard for a lot of people to relate?

It's easy to hate people that have it better than you do.

Richi knew in the show he should be better than his competition. And he was right. Does that make him cocky? Sort of. But for me I respect them. I think it takes balls to do it, and I respect it more when you don't HAVE to but WANT to fight.
 
#9 ·
Rory was booed all of one time. I can chalk that up to the location of the fight as well as his opponent being BJ Penn. Until it happens again, and again, and again, I'll not even entertain the idea that Rory is a 'villain' or that the people are turning on him.

The media is blowing an isolated incident out of proportion. As per usual.
 
#10 ·
Actually Rory was booed the entire time.

This was my first UFC card I've been to, and it blew my mind how loud the boo's were. I couldn't even hear a word Rory said in the arena.

At first I thought it was more about the patriotism and loyalty to Penn, but after the taunting the 'Muricans wouldn't even let Rory say one word. He was definitely not getting ANY love, even after that performance. Although us Canadians were as loud as we could be.
 
#11 ·
It will take some time for him to develop his identity. He's been groomed as a fighter for so long, and thrust into the spotlight at such an early age, he hasn't had an opportunity to fully develop his personality (being close to GSP isn't helping in that department either :)). It would do him well to get out of Canada for a while and train at some other major camps and interact with more people, which shouldn't be too difficult for someone as talented as he is.
 
#12 ·
He's a condescending self-righteous prick, that's why nobody likes him. He has no honor, he has no respect for his opponents. He'll win a title one day, then he'll lose it, then everyone will pile the hate on him and then finally he will learn humility. If he wanted respect he would have treated BJ with some, but he didn't, he literally scoughed. I'm Canadian and I can't stand him, he is the antithesis to GSP.
 
#13 ·
Not sure why Rory is getting such hate, it's clear he's just a young kid who isn't media savvy. It's obviously not as bad as Nate but at least he showed up to his press conference. It's clear judging from his pre-post fight conference that he's trying to emulate the "professionalism" aspect of GSP (wearing the suit etc..).

He however does not have the charisma that GSP has (who could break into a goofy grin and joke on the spot), instead he's just stating his opinion honestly and only responded to trash talking when BJ was up to his old tricks. Seriously, if there ever was a dick it's BJ and yet Rory is being accused of being a dbag for stating his opinions?
 
#19 ·
I think you are off base to say Rory is MMA's new villain.

Rory was booed because he's Canadian and was fighting BJ Penn in the US.

In Montreal, Toronto or Calgary Macdonald would have heard nothing but cheers and Penn would have been mercilessly booed.

In Brazil, Penn probably gets more cheers because he's a BJJ legend but doubtful Rory gets booed.
 
#20 ·
Rory is quickly on his way to my top 3 fighters, not only has he spoken to the government and done a TON for the Canadian MMA legalization, he continues to show talent and maturity above his age. People rip on him for taunting BJ in the cage, but half of those same people are big fans of the Diaz brothers, or any number of other fighters who act like complete assholes in the cage.

MMA fans seem to gain some kind of sick enjoyment from despising anyone who does well, every champion has legions of haters, and those haters go out of their way to pick apart and analyze every single piece of these people. I think along the way, we can all forget that no matter how well they do in the cage, these guys are still human beings, they make mistakes, they say stupid shit, and they don't deserve to be under your microscope. What would we say about you if we could dissect every part of your life?
 
#21 ·
I liked Rory prior to the fight and I'm still basically a fan. I can't help but respect his talent, but I could have done without the Ali shuffle. I don't like it when a legend like Anderson does it and I definitely didn't like it when Rory was doing it against a (faded) legend in BJ Penn. It felt extra disrespectful due to Rory's place in MMA history vs someone like BJ's, clearly that's subjective, but I think that's why it bugged so many people. Rory will be champ some day for sure though, maybe sooner then later.
 
#24 ·
He's probably a nice guy but there is something about him that just screams serial-killer. I think it's the looks together with his introvert personality.

Also I didn't mind him smashing Penn, altho I am a Penn fan I was expecting this to happen. The Showboating did bother me a bit tho.
 
#29 ·
I enjoyed watching him fight a great deal.

I thought he could have finished BJ, but perhaps he chose not to, or just decided to play it cautious, not really sure, but still he was an exciting fighter to watch to me.

He looks a great deal like Patrick Bateman, especially the way he walked in dressed all GQ, but being that American Psycho is one of my favorite movies, that's a plus in my book.
 
#30 ·
yeh im a fan

i like his understatedness, and since seeing that display of standup - its hard not to be impressed
 
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