MacDonald: Lawler may have failed drug test before UFC 189
Rory MacDonald is threatening to open a can of worms concerning his 2015 welterweight title fight with Robbie Lawler.
In a Monday appearance on Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour, MacDonald, who recently signed with Bellator MMA, was asked if leaving the UFC without ever brandishing a title would weigh on him.
In his reply, MacDonald said he'd recently been privy to some information that could potentially ravage Lawler's legacy.
"We're gonna have to see where it goes, but it has something to do with my title fight with Robbie. Some very interesting information came about."
MacDonald prudently issued a disclaimer, adding he would have to investigate before fully going public, but then launched into a rant in which he alluded to performance-enhancing drugs.
"It pisses me right off, to hear about it to be honest. I feel robbed. I came in, I worked hard for that fight. I fought my heart out and I left everything in there. I left my soul. You know, I really poured everything out there. I came in honest and I always have my entire career. I don't play with no dirty drugs, any performance enhancers. That's something that I don't believe in morally."
Helwani followed up on MacDonald's vague allegations, asking if he was hinting that Lawler may have failed a drug test.
"Some test results came out four times higher than the limit. Like I said, it could be bullshit. We have to look into it. I don't want to start pointing fingers or anything, but look at that team's history. It makes you very suspicious."
The team MacDonald refers to is Florida-based American Top Team, which Lawler joined before returning to the UFC in 2013. Three of its members, Hector Lombard, Gleison Tibau, and Yoel Romero, have been flagged for banned substances.
As for Lawler, he's fought twice since his fifth-round TKO of MacDonald, beating Carlos Condit in a split decision before losing the title to Tyron Woodley by 1st-round knockout at UFC 201. He has never failed a drug test.
MacDonald's accusations, if legit, would tarnish one of MMA's greatest comeback stories in recent memory.
After lukewarm stints in the UFC and Strikeforce, Lawler returned to the former after the latter folded, going 5-1 before beating Johny Hendricks for the title at UFC 181. His first defense, against MacDonald, took 2015 Fight of the Year honors, and he could repeat the feat after his five-round war with Condit in January.
MacDonald would not divulge his source, but assured Helwani of its credibility.