Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for their classic welterweight title fight at UFC 189.
Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald gave their all in the cage at UFC 189, and as a result, they will soon be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. The announcement was made during Saturday’s UFC 287 broadcast, revealing that Lawler vs. McDonald 2, a classic welterweight title fight that occurred on July 11, 2015, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing during International Fight Week (July 3-July 9) in Las Vegas. Lawler attended the event at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday, enjoying the excitement of the announcement with a packed house cheering him on.
Entering UFC 189 as the welterweight champion, Lawler had won a close split decision over Johny Hendricks to secure the title. At just 25 years old, MacDonald was seen as the future of the division and sought to avenge a previous decision loss to Lawler from 2013. The fight turned into a back-and-forth classic, with MacDonald appearing poised to take the torch from Lawler at times, while Lawler exhibited the incredible grit and determination that has made him a fan favorite for over two decades. After 20 minutes of relentless battle, both fighters were bloodied and battered by the time the fifth round bell rang.
It was ultimately Lawler who outlasted MacDonald, inflicting lasting damage to the Canadian’s face and earning a stoppage early in Round 5. The bout was widely regarded as one of the greatest in MMA history, a sentiment that has stood the test of time. Alongside Lawler and MacDonald, the 2023 inductees will include Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and Jens Pulver. They will join a Fight Wing that includes 2022 inductee Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi, as well as Forrest Griffin vs. Stephon Bonnar 1, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan Henderson, and Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 1.