As Rory MacDonald gears up for this weekend's UFC on Fox 8 co-main event bout with No. 4 welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger we've got a quick glimpse of some sparring with newly minted middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
MacDonald, who turned 24 on Monday, is currently ranked the No. 3 welterweight contender, just behind Johny Hendricks and Carlos Condit. While UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson faces John Moraga in the main event this weekend, it's the welterweights that are stealing the thunder.
MMA Fighting's very own Dave Meltzer has an excellent piece taking a look at some of the potential shoes to fall in this stacked welterweight division. Dave goes into detail about a potential showdown between MacDonald and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, but that even a victory this weekend for Rory would require another fight.
As GSP is set to face Hendricks for the title on Nov. 16, it's likely MacDonald would need another bout with a top contender to cement his status as a true No. 1 challenger. God forbid a Hendricks win, which would push MacDonald's shot even further back as St-Pierre would assumably be granted an immediate rematch. Dave and I agree, the winner of MacDonald-Ellenberger should face the winner of Aug. 28's Condit-Kampmann.
In all likelihood, it could be quite a while before a GSP-MacDonald title bout even needs to be discussed.
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