Rory MacDonald vs. Jon Fitch title fight, Bellator grand prix first round slated for April

MMAfighting.com

Rory MacDonald is back in the welterweight division and set to embark on an historic assignment — defending his Bellator title throughout a grand-prix tournament.

MacDonald will fight Jon Fitch on April 27 in San Jose, Calif., sources told MMA Fighting this week. The bout will have a two-fold meaning. The Bellator welterweight title will be on the line. And the winner will also advance out of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix first round.

MacDonald vs. Fitch will be five rounds, though it’s unclear if it’s scheduled to be the main event of the card. Bellator has yet to announce the San Jose event or the planned bout.

MacDonald (20-5) most recently moved up to middleweight for a superfight against champion Gegard Mousasi in September. Mousasi defeated MacDonald by second-round TKO. MacDonald, 29, defeated Douglas Lima to win the Bellator welterweight title in January 2018. He won his first two bouts in Bellator after coming over following a run as a top welterweight contender in the UFC. The Canadian “Red King” is still regarded as one of the best welterweights in the world, with a victory under his belt over current UFC champ Tyron Woodley.

Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC) is one of the most accomplished 170-pound fighters in MMA history. The California native is the former World Series of Fighting welterweight champion and a former top contender in the UFC at 170. Fitch, 40, has won five in a row, including his Bellator debut over Paul Daley last May. He never lost the WSOF belt inside the cage.

The Bellator card in San Jose does not yet have any other targeted bouts. Bellator 214 takes place this coming Saturday, headlined by the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix final between Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader. The winner becomes Bellator heavyweight champion.