Welterweight sensation signs with MFC/Heat XC

It’s not considered cockiness when you can back it up.

Cory MacDonald is out to prove that he is full of confidence and the talent to reinforce his boastful statements. He is eager to cut a swath through the MFC’s welterweight division and put the championship belt around his waist.

MacDonald (9-2) will get his first opportunity to be the new buzzsaw at 170 pounds when he holds main-event status at Heat XC 3: Ruthless on July 17 at the River Cree Resort and Casino. The 31-year-old from Kingston, ON, will then stand on the big stage for the first time at MFC 22: Payoff on Sept. 25.

“I very psyched. I’ve been wanting to sign with the MFC for a year as I’ve seen the organization grow,” explained MacDonald after signing a multi-fight deal. “I’d been waiting on my management to get it done and finally I just decided to do it myself. I want my future in my own hands.”

MacDonald’s future is bright for sure and there are expectations of it getting even brighter. After 10 years of toiling away in relative obscurity and seeing next-big-things come and go, MacDonald is demanding his turn in the spotlight.

“I watched a guy like Ryan Ford come in and do all this self-promoting. At least have some skills to back it up,” declared MacDonald. “The MFC couldn’t have made a better decision than to get rid of him. I would have beaten him in the first round.

“I have respect for all the fighters in the MFC but I know I can beat every one of them at 170 and then I’m going to take the belt. There’s not one guy that I don’t match up well against. I’m going to have my first couple fights and then if it’s (Pat) Healy or (John) Alessio or whoever, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to take that belt home with me.”

The confidence MacDonald exhibits is a product of his dedication to training which has served him well during a current four-fight winning streak that includes a first-round demolition of veteran Edwin Dewees. That decisive victory was the launching pad for MacDonald’s quest for championship gold.

“I have a confidence going into the ring - I’m going to win and there’s no way I can be beaten. If you listen and talk to the best fighters, they just know there’s no way they can lose. I know how hard I’ve trained and the guys I’ve beaten. I feel there’s no one who can beat me.

“The last four fights, I’ve trained more seriously and I just feel I can roll over anyone right now. Even the (Jonathan) Goulet fight, I dropped him face down twice in the first round but I was injured in warmup with a torn cornea and by the end of the first round I was totally blind so my corner stopped it. I was very disappointed and it was a hard loss to take but that’s when I got re-focused and got into better shape and really got going.

“I went into the Dewees fight and I knew there was no way I was going to lose. It took Patrick Cote three rounds to beat him on the reality show. It took (Rich) Franklin and (Antonio Rogerio) Nogueira longer to beat him.”

With MacDonald geared up for his debuts in Heat XC and the MFC, he offered just a hint of hype for himself - big talk which he fully intends on backing up.

“It’s going to be a big stage for me but I feel I’m destined to be there,” he offered. “I’m just going to go across the ring and destroy the guy I’m fighting.

“The fans are going to really experience me. Lots of fighters can talk all the want. I know what I can do and once the fans get to see me for the first time, they’re going to want to see me again.”