Rory MacDonald gives first interview since his brutal classic with Robbie Lawler

Back on the horse.

It was a fight that UFC president Dana White described as 'the best of... ever.' Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler tore into each other for five ruthless rounds of their welterweight title encounter at UFC 189. 'The Red King' led Lawler 3-1 on the judges' scorecards, going into the final round against the reigning champion. Unfortunately for MacDonald, his nose had already been smashed to smithereens and another solid Lawler connection saw him crumple. The fight was stopped seconds later. One month on from that epic fight, MacDonald has given his first interview. He told MMA Hour, 'I'm happy with the way it went. I thought it was a good fight; an amazing experience I will remember the rest of my life... it will help me grow as a martial artist.' The Canadian also revealed he had tweaked the MCL [Media Collateral Ligament] in his knee before he went into training camp for his UFC 189 match-up. https://youtu.be/NkCaBUBY0E0 Meanwhile, Firas Zahabi, MacDonald's coach, has revealed his fighter described the Lawler bout as 'the best time of is life'. 'He wasn't negative about it; he was positive about it and he’s already training again,' he told E. Spence Kyte. Zahabi adds, 'It’s an experience I think Rory is going to grow from. 'That’s what you need to be a champion; that’s what you need to look for is that killer instinct, that personality where it’s, "Hey – I’m going to dust myself off and that’s just one chapter in the story." 'It’s one of those things where it makes you a better fighter just because you’ve been in the fire.'