Why it works
The personality fits
MacDonald never has been one for promotional fodder, and in that regard PFL is the place to be. Yes, PFL fighters still have to do interviews, attend media events and oblige to many of the same responsibilities as those in the UFC or Bellator. However, there’s no pressure to sell anything. For a soft spoken and reserved athlete like MacDonald, who nary has a bad word to say about others, that takes away a layer of stress.
The money potential is there
According to MacDonald, the deal he signed with PFL is the most financially lucrative of his career. And that appears to not even count the $1 million prize that could come at season’s end. If MacDonald can thrive and maximize his earnings with PFL, he could set up a truly promising future for himself, his wife and two children.
The format could bring back the old ‘Red King’
Assuming MacDonald advances to the PFL playoffs in 2020, he will find himself in a long-desire scenario of potentially fighting twice in one night. Many believe MacDonald has gone soft in recent years, and in many ways he brought that perspective on himself when he vocalized uncertainty about his position in the sport after his draw with Jon Fitch at Bellator 220 in April.
Despite that, the man once labeled “The Canadian Psycho,” the man who said having his nose bloodied and smashed to bits by Robbie Lawler in a UFC title fight loss was the “greatest moment” of his life, is still in there somewhere. MacDonald could find himself fighting five times next year, and that savage side will have to come out if he wants to go all the way and take that $1 million prize.
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