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Ex-UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald not likely to make Bellator debut until summer 2017

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ANAHEIM, Calif. – If you’re anxious to see how Rory MacDonald will do now that he’s made the move from the UFC to Bellator, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

After his official introduction as the newest member of Bellator’s welterweight division this past Friday at Bellator 160, which took place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., MacDonald said he’s not expecting to step into the Bellator cage for the first time until 2017.

MacDonald (18-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has struggled with recurring broken nose issues and said he wants his nose to heal once and for all before getting back in another fight.

“It’s going to be in 2017,” MacDonald said at a news conference after Bellator 160. “I’m going to say summer, but we’ll see what happens. It could be before that, but definitely 2017. I want to give my nose 100 percent time to heal. Last time, I didn’t give it the time I was supposed to. I was too hungry to get back in there and spar with guys and fight. I really have to pump the brakes on this one because I can’t be taking a year off between every fight. I’m going to give it the time it needs to heal back to 100 percent, and then hopefully I can fight once a quarter.”

In a title fight against then-welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 189, MacDonald was up three rounds to one heading to the fifth round – and was on his way to the title had he survived the round. But Lawler broke MacDonald’s nose and stopped him in the fifth. Both fighters were a bloody mess.

It took MacDonald nearly a year to return, and when he came back in June, he dropped a unanimous decision to Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 89 main event in Ottawa, Canada. Again, he had issues with his nose.

That fight was the final one on his UFC deal. After the loss, MacDonald entered free agency. He told MMAjunkie in Anaheim the contract process wasn’t too stressful.

“For contract negotiations, it went pretty well – it went pretty smooth,” MacDonald told MMAjunkie. “(President) Scott (Coker) and the guys at Bellator, they’re very professional and very easy to talk to – very approachable. Right away, I had a good vibe and had it in my mind that I was going to end up here. It was just a feeling, an intuition. I’m really happy with how it worked out. It couldn’t work out better – they’re treating me well already.

“(There were) no restless nights – maybe for my manager. But I felt confident going into this negotiation. I wasn’t too stressed. I know my worth, and I was sticking to it. Now it’s just about putting on a show, getting out there and taking that belt.”

The thing is, MacDonald said he not only wants to take the belt at welterweight, he wants to move up and win a title at middleweight, as well.

When he gets back in, he’ll be trying to snap the first losing skid of his career. MacDonald, a longtime training partner and teammate of former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, signed with the UFC after starting 9-0 as a pro. He went 9-4 with the UFC, including wins over former two-division champion B.J. Penn, Nate Diaz, current welterweight title contender Demian Maia and current champion Tyron Woodley.

But first things first, he needs to get a fight booked, and win it. And that could be nine or 10 months away. But Coker said big things are planned in the welterweight division with MacDonald in the fold, and gunning for a title shot in his first appearance, either against current champ Andrey Koreshkov or whoever holds the belt when he returns.

“I think we have the best 170-pound division on the planet right now, if you think of Koreshkov, Paul Daley, Rory MacDonald, (Douglas) Lima, MVP (Michael Page), Fernando Gonzalez,” Coker said. “It’s a stacked division. A lot is going to happen between now and the time (MacDonald is) ready to fight, so let’s see how those other cards play out, and we’ll have some announcements in the next month for what will be happening.”

And for more on Bellator 160, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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