Last weekend, in the co-main event of Bellator 192, former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald scored a tooth-and-nail decision win over Douglas Lima to capture the Bellator welterweight title. While MacDonald ultimately emerged the victor, however, he was the far more damaged man by the time the fight ended, having developed some serious swelling on his face, and one hell of a hematoma on his shin.
Given the way MacDonald looked post-fight, there was immediate worry that he was once again facing a long sit on the shelf – certainly not what you want for perhaps the best fighter on the Bellator roster. Luckily, it sounds as though MacDonald’s injuries aren’t too severe.
Post-fight, the new champ took to Twitter to update on his leg. Luckily, it’s not broken.
UPDATE on my leg- not broken, just big hematoma. it hurts but it will fade
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) January 21, 2018
MacDonald also shared an update on his Snapchat, reiterating that his leg wasn’t broken, and explaining that his nose isn’t broken either. He also assured he won’t be out of action for too long.
“My leg is not broken,” he said in this Snapchat post. “It is just a hematoma and will be fine. My nose is not broken. I shouldn’t be out of action for too long.”
What do you think comes next for Rory MacDonald?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/22/2018.