For a while, it appeared that Rory MacDonald would carry on Georges St-Pierre‘s legacy in Canadian MMA. A skilled and tenacious fighter, he came close to winning UFC gold and later fought in Bellator and the PFL before retiring in 2022. But just when his story seemed over, MacDonald went to the gym, training full-time and rediscovering something he’d long missed: joy.

“It’s got me in the gym loving training again,” MacDonald told Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I’m training twice a day, three times a day. Having fun with it.” While he refrained from confirming a full-fledged comeback, ‘The Red King’ said it’s more than just a hobby. He’s genuinely trying to improve as a martial artist again.

“There’s nothing for sure,” he said. “I’m just having fun at this point.” For fans who have watched him walk away without closure, this glimmer of hope is enough to raise eyebrows. But, as MacDonald explained to Helwani, the path to retirement wasn’t a sudden break. Instead, it was a slow fade sparked by internal shifts and a $2M net worth.

“I think making better money… that was a distraction,” he said. “And the lifestyle that comes with it… I think I just needed to grow up and adjust to that.” Things began to unravel after his loss to Douglas Lima in Bellator, which he now sees as the beginning of his passion diminishing. It was after this loss that he lost his passion and would have mixed results in his later fights.

Helwani mentioned an old Marvin Hagler quote: “It’s hard to get up and train when you’re sleeping in silk pajamas,” to which Rory agreed. “It was awkward. Well, not awkward, but interesting timing,” he added, reflecting on becoming a father suddenly while also experiencing a significant shift in his faith. “Then all this money pouring in… it was a lot to handle at the time for me.”

Well, like it often happens, the conveniences of wealth made it more difficult to rekindle the hunger that once drove a fighter. Whether MacDonald returns to the cage or not, his straightforward honesty provides a more complete picture of a fighter who stepped away not because he had to, but because the fire had extinguished. But now, he claims it is still there and will remain as strong as ever.

Rory MacDonald reveals his passion still remains brighter than ever

MacDonald’s recent words reinforce what his training sessions have already indicated: this isn’t just a fitness kick or a nostalgic return to old habits. The fire he once thought had fizzled out was just buried, not gone. Even though he trains two or three times a day without a specific fight offer on the table, MacDonald speaks like a man who still belongs in the cage, not someone seeking closure but regaining his identity.

What stands out is how MacDonald frames this fire, not as a temporary resurgence, but as something hardwired into his being. “It’s always part of me,” he explained. “That competition and the love for martial arts… that never really died.” These are not the words of someone wanting to recreate previous successes but of someone who understands that, despite burnout and retirement, the desire to fight has never fully gone away.

He doesn’t deny his peace or the better life he now has, but the competitor within him hums beneath the surface. There is still no timeline, opponent, or promises. His last fight was a defeat at the hands of Dilano Taylor in 2022, and for the time being, all he has is the rhythm of the gym and the satisfaction of personal growth. But for anyone who has seen Rory MacDonald rise, fall, and step away on his own terms, all this buzz may be the clearest indication yet that ‘Red King’ isn’t finished writing his story.