UFC 145: Is Rory MacDonald the Future of the UFC?

We writers like to pose bold questions all the time. Why? Because in addition to inciting discussion and provoking thought, bold questions look good as article titles. 

Often, the bold question we pose is followed by a doctrine composed of research, external opinions and personal interpretation, which we use to lead the reader to an answer.

Sometimes, we follow steps A and B only to conclude that either side of an issue is correct in its own unique way, or that it is too early too tell what might happen in a given situation. 

Sometimes this protocol is necessary. Some debates, controversies, events and ideas do not have definitive answers, and speculation is the best—the only—way to go.

But not for this question. 

Is Rory MacDonald the future of the UFC? Yes.

Yes, yes, yes, one thousand times yes! Rory MacDonald is the future of the UFC.

If we, collectively, had to vote on the face of the UFC today, we would most certainly elect Georges St-Pierre.

The welterweight champion is one of the most dominant and successful fighters in the history of the sport and sells tickets with the best of them.

Outside the cage, Georges is known as one of the nicest guys in MMA. He is respectful of all his opponents, he is respectful to the media and he is respectful to fans of the sport.

In terms of publicity, Georges is one of the top dogs. While MMA is still battling to enter the conscious of mainstream media, the French-Canadian has shown up in internationally-aired Gatorade commercials, and is sponsored by a slew of recognizable benefactors.

It is these attributes and accolades—success, marketability, reputation, drawing power and notoriety—that make St-Pierre the king of the sport today.

Despite what you might think, the reason for this GSP tangent is not because I got lost in those baby-blue eyes of his while Google imaging pictures.

Rather, establishing some context is necessary for explaining how the passing of the baton from St-Pierre to MacDonald will go down.

Says Dana White, "This kid's awesome. Even Georges St-Pierre says he's the next Georges St-Pierre, so that's pretty impressive. This kid could be the next big superstar."

So there is that. UFC president Dana White, and Georges St-Pierre projecting Rory to be the next big superstar of the UFC. And it's not like either guy is just guessing. In fact, St-Pierre is quite familiar with his countryman.

Making the inevitable passing of the torch more convenient for everyone, GSP and MacDonald train together at Tristar gym in Montreal.

MacDonald began fighting professionally at age 16 and posted an 8-0 record as a teenager. He is 3-1 in the UFC, with the sole blemish on his record coming against current interim champion, Carlos Condit. 

He is a terrifically well-rounded fighter who is as capable of finishing opponents on the ground as he is of knocking them out.

He also has some serious strength, athleticism and wrestling ability, just in case he wasn't dangerous enough as a great striker and wizard on the floor.

Combine Rory's natural talents with GSP's tutelage and one of the most highly-regarded trainers around, Firas Zahabi, and you're looking at a future champion. This is good news for my stance here, because you can be as suave as Isaiah Mustafa, but to be the face of the UFC, you have to win fights.

Actually, you need to do more than win fights, which only means that his relationship with Georges St-Pierre will pay greater dividends for MacDonald.

In addition to growing as a fighter, Rory can lean on St-Pierre for knowledge regarding how to conduct himself outside the Octagon.

This is not to say that Rory needs to act exactly like St-Pierre to supplant him as the face of MMA, because he doesn't. The two are not the same person.

While St-Pierre tends to speak about the dangers of his opponents, Rory likes to focus on his own strengths and make people aware that he knows the score before the game is played.

When speaking of Che Mills, MacDonald notes "I hold no fear standing toe-to-toe with this guy. I'm fairly certain I'll be better than he is in every single area of this fight."

While this statement, an embodiment of MacDonald's attitude, may make the young Canuck come across as cocky, the fact of the matter is that he is just confident. Very confident.

He knows what people are saying about him and he knows he is regarded as the next big thing. And he believes it.

But unlike your run-of-the-mill over-hyped fighter, MacDonald believes people are saying it because it's true, not that it's true because they are saying it.

While some people appreciate confidence-bordering-on-cockiness, others do not. But making everyone love you is not a necessity of super-stardom. It's ok if some people dislike MacDonald. Many people dislike GSP because he is so diplomatic.

No fighter can win over everyone, but in a few years, everyone will know who Rory MacDonald is.

Publicity and notoriety are largely products of success, so in time those things will come. Additionally, Rory is an intelligent kid who has gradually come out of his shell over the past couple years, which will help him turn into a star outside the cage, as well as in. 

He used to seem a bit nervous in front of the camera, but his personality—honest, intelligent, dedicated and focused—has begun to shine through a little bit more of late.

In time, these qualities will become all the more apparent, and companies will want him to start wearing their clothes, media outlets will call for him to do interviews and more and more fans will begin to identify him as their favorite (or least favorite) fighter.

In the future, Rory will headline shows, win titles, draw crowds and sell pay-per-views.

Whether he will become the icon that Georges St-Pierre has remains to be seen, but he certainly starts with a market much larger than the one GSP began with and helped to grow.

With Dana White's confidence, which MacDonald has, it is only a matter of time before he starts getting the exposure that will make him a bonafide superstar. 

Until then, he will have to settle for carrying the co-main event of one of the year's biggest cards.

Not bad for a 22-year-old kid.

The real question, the one that's difficult to answer, is "will Rory become the face of the UFC before or after St-Pierre is done fighting?"

Now that's one where I'll say that it is too early to tell.