Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Rory MacDonald defeated B.J. Penn in their welterweight affair at UFC on FOX 5 at Seattle’s Key Arena on Saturday night.
MacDonald dominated the former title holder through all three rounds, getting the judges nod with scores of 30-26, 30-26 and 30-26.
“I was just staying calm, cool, collected, picking my shots,” MacDonald said following the win. “B.J.’s dangerous at all times, so I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and rush in and get countered.”
Additionally, MacDonald called out former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, asking for a rematch for March.
“There’s a guy who humiliated me a couple years ago, and I want my revenge,” he said. “Carlos Condit, I want a rematch. Accept my challenge.”
In the fight, Penn came out aggressive, pressing MacDonald against the cage early on. MacDonald then set his distance and worked with a mixture of jabs and low kicks. Penn began to tire late in the first, eating an elbow that wobbled him and MacDonald stayed active. Penn remained with his back against the cage with MacDonald on the offensive to the end of the time period.
Penn looked visibly drained as the second round began. MacDonald worked several combinations, landing most on them on his opponent. MacDonald landed a hard kick to Penn’s mid section, which made the former two-division champ cringe. Penn, in clear pain by the body strikes, continued countering and eventually moved forward to meet his opponent at the center of the octagon before being taken down.
Penn began the third round as actively as he did the first one, pressing his opponent against the cage. MacDonald, however, broke the clinch, turned Penn around, and pressed him against the cage for his own advantageous position. MacDonald continued to land strikes on his opponent, and even began taunting him towards the end of the round.
MacDonald is on a four-fight win streak since losing to Condit at UFC 115 in June 2010, and looks to get that fight back with a rematch in four months. Penn has won only one fight in his last six, leaving the question of whether or not he’ll continue in his UFC career.
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