Jake Ellenberger: Rory MacDonald Was Invented by the Media and Sold to the Fans

It's safe to say UFC on Fox 8 fighter Jake Ellenberger is not buying the hype surrounding his next opponent, Rory MacDonald.

The two fighters have recently engaged in a back and-forth war on Twitter, but even before that, Ellenberger didn't seem to care much for the overinflated way MacDonald is being promoted as a top-five welterweight.

According to the current UFC rankings, MacDonald actually sits one spot ahead of Ellenberger, and he believes the young Canadian is more artificial than reality.

"The thing with Rory, too, is he's been invented by the media," Ellenberger said in a recent interview with Bleacher Report.  "He's been invented and sold to the fans and no disrespect, he is a talented fighter.  I do agree with that, he is skilled, he's got a lot of potential. But we don't know how good he is.  I'm glad I've got this fight."

Ellenberger hopes to expose MacDonald in the Octagon when they meet in July, while also possibly earning a long-awaited shot at the UFC welterweight title.

While UFC officials have yet to say the fight between Ellenberger and MacDonald is a No. 1 contender's fight, both fighters being ranked in the top five of the division speaks volumes towards the magnitude of this bout.

"I was told this was going to be the title eliminator fight for the No. 1 contender, but that's not what I'm thinking about," Ellenberger said.  "I'm not looking past him at all."

In the interview, Ellenberger also comments on performance enhancing drugs in MMA, and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre's influence on his next opponent.