Neiman Gracie always intended to fight at Bellator 222, but he wasn’t sure if his opponent would be welterweight champion Rory MacDonald.
MacDonald’s last fight against Jon Fitch in late April ended in a majority draw after a five-round battle. Following the fight, MacDonald cast doubts on whether he would compete again while saying that he no longer had the “killer instinct” to hurt people anymore.
Two days later, MacDonald released a lengthy statement addressing any concerns that he may be retiring from the sport while adding that he intended on defending his welterweight title against Gracie on June 14 as expected.