Don’t call it a comeback.
We hadn’t seen Michael McDonald fight in almost 800 days but the American bantamweight made it worth the wait with his submission victory over Masanori Kanehara at UFC 195 on Saturday night.
MMA journalists were thinking of different ways to frame ‘ring rust’ after McDonald struggled to find his rhythm in the first round and the upset looked on the cards for Kanehara in the second round when he cinched up a tight arm triangle.
The finish looked inevitable but McDonald dug deep and proved himself a veteran, despite being just 24 years old, as he beautifully reversed position.
McDonald took the back and in one fell swoop he managed to lock in a body triangle, sunk his forearm under Kanehara’s chin and drew the tap by grabbing his biceps.
He’s back!
