We now have an official date for the highly anticipated Rory MacDonald Bellator debut! In 2016, news broke that Bellator MMA had signed former UFC welterweight contender Rory MacDonald to a contract. While MacDonald was certainly a massive addition to Bellator’s 170 pound roster, The Red King expressed his desire to take some time to allow injuries to heal, most notably his nose, which was re injured in his June loss to Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

Now, at the recent Bellator MMA press conference, it was confirmed that Rory MacDonald would be making his Bellator MMA debut on May 19th against none other than knockout artist Paul Daley. Daley spoke about the bout, saying:

“It’s a massive fight with Rory MacDonald – a very, very tough test for myself,” Daley said. “Rory is no joke – probably top five in the world, in my opinion. I’m prepared for a tough battle. I know it’s not the fight ‘MVP’ wanted, but sometimes I’ve got to think about myself and prioritize things. … I think Rory MacDonald is a better fight for me right now. There’s a certain journey you have to make to get to the top of the hill, and in my opinion I’m at the top of the hill right now.”

This comes on the heels of reports surfacing that Daley would be fighting Michael ‘Venom’ Page under the Bellator MMA banner. With that being said, at the same press conference, it was announced that Michael Page would fight would be fighting on the same card, however his opponent would be announced at a later date.

MacDonald will be entering the fight on a 2-fight skid that saw him drop a 5th round TKO to Robbie Lawler in a ‘Fight of the Year’ performance, with his most recent loss being the decision to Thompson in June. Daley on the other hand will be entering into the fight coming off a brutal flying knee KO of Brennan Ward.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/9/2017.