Canadian Rory (The Red King) MacDonald loses PFL semifinal by unanimous decision
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Canadian welterweight Rory (The Red King) MacDonald’s bid for a US$1-million payday ended prematurely Friday when he lost a unanimous decision to Hawaii’s Ray Cooper III in the semifinals of the Professional Fighters League playoffs.
MacDonald, the second seed in the 170-pound division, had no answer for Cooper’s grappling and spent most of the fight on his back, unable to mount any offence. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 for Cooper, the third seed.
Cooper (23-7-1) will face No. 4 Magomed Magomedkerimov of Russia for the $1-million champion’s cheque in the Oct. 27 final at the same venue.
The championship bout is a rematch of the 2018 final, won by Magomedkerimov (28-5-0) by first-round submission.