Kelowna plays host to Bellingham in playoff opener tonight
Kelowna’s Rory MacDonald will open defence of his 170-pound Bellator title against veteran Jon Fitch in the first round of the Welterweight World Grand Prix.
The knockout tournament starts Sept. 29 with a battle of former title-holders as American-based Brazilian Douglas Lima (29-7-0) faces Russian Andrey Koreshkov (21-2-0) at Bellator 206 at San Jose’s SAP Center.
The 29-year-old MacDonald, who trains out of Toshido MMA in Kelowna and Tristar in Montreal, is also scheduled to fight on that Sept. 29 card — looking to add the Bellator middleweight (185-pound) title to his collection when he takes on Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2).
MacDonald won the welterweight title at Bellator 192 in January, with a unanimous decision victory over Lima.
MacDonald previously went 9-3-0 in the UFC, including a title loss to then-welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, prior to joining Bellator. He has won both fights in his new promotion.
The 40-year-old Fitch has won his last five fights and seven of his last eight. The former Purdue wrestler went 14-3-1 in the UFC, including a title challenge loss to Canadian Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87 in 2008.
“Good news,” Fitch said of the MacDonald matchup via social media.
All tournament bouts will be five rounds.
Paul Daley (40-16-2) takes on fellow Brit Michael Page (13-0-0), Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Neiman Gracie (8-0-0) faces former three-time NCAA wrestling champion Ed Ruth (6-0-0), and MacDonald (20-4-0) meets Fitch (31-7-1) in the first round, with dates for those fights yet to be announced.
The MacDonald-Fitch winner will take on the Gracie-Ruth victor in the semifinals.
A match between Lorenz Larkin (19-7-0, with one no contest) and Ukraine’s Yaroslav Amosov (20-0-0) will produce a tournament alternate contest in case another fighter is unable to compete.