A date and place has been provided for the first official title fight of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix when Rory MacDonald takes on Jon Fitch on April 27 from the SAP Center in San Jose, California, as reported by MMA Junkie Wednesday. There is no word yet on if the bout will headline the event.
Rory MacDonald will have an opportunity to begin 2019 with a clean slate after losing to Gegard Mousasi via second round TKO at 206 in an attempt to win the middleweight championship and thereby become a double champion. 2018 wasn’t all bad for MacDonald, though, as it was the year he won the welterweight championship from Douglas Lima at Bellator 192. If Rory MacDonald is to exit to 2019 as he entered it, as welterweight champion, he will have to get through Jon Fitch and two other contenders in the grand prix.
Jon Fitch made his Bellator debut in May with a victory over Paul Daley, another contender in the welterweight grand prix, improving his record to 31-7-1. Should Fitch defeat MacDonald, he will have won a world title in WSOF, PFL, and Bellator.
The winner of this welterweight title bout will go on to face Neiman Gracie in the semifinals. Gracie defeated Ed Ruth via submission at Bellator 213 to advance in the tournament. A Fitch vs. Gracie bout will feature two of the best grapplers in the promotion, but reigning champion Rory MacDonald stands in the way of seeing how that potential bout would unfold.
Who do you predict will be victorious between reigning champion Rory MacDonald and Jon Fitch on April 27th?
