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Dilano Taylor steals the headlines in Cardiff with Rory MacDonald KO

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The main event of the PFL’s debut overseas in the UK was always going to be the big talking point of the show. After some late notice changes to the card due to issues getting into the country, Dilano Taylor stepped in on late notice to face Rory “Red King” MacDonald just several days before PFL 8 got underway in Cardiff, Wales.

With a highlight reel TKO in the opening round, Taylor booked his place in the finals with the biggest win of his career to date. As a result, it was announced today that Rory MacDonald, the former UFC title challenger and Bellator champion, would be retiring from the sport.

“It was clear that this was destined to happen, I’ve been telling people since the beginning and since I got here that when I got to the PFL, I was gonna be a millionaire at 25 and I’ve been saying this since 2018. So this is not surprising.” Taylor said in his post fight media scrum. 

After going 2-1 in the PFL in 2022, a win over MacDonald has put “The Postman” just one more victory away from being crowned champion and becoming a millionaire. “We do this for the money but being the champion is clearly the objective, I think what means more to me is all the adversity I went through to get to this point.”

“I was an alternate three times in this tournament, there’s no way that I would be an alternate three times and still make my way to the finals. I’m 25 years old, the youngest person in the welterweight division right now and I’m at the top.”

Taylor was asked after the fight whether there was any additional pressure facing an opponent like Rory MacDonald on late notice. To pull off an upset on short notice in that fashion would’ve stolen the show regardless but to do it over a legend like MacDonald made it even more impactful. Taylor had this to say about his opponent before the news of his retirement broke today.

“For me, it wasn’t really a weakness I saw in Rory because Rory is one of the goats of this sport I think. He’s a tough guy but I feel like he’s been fighting for so long that I feel like it does affect you and after a while he’s got to think about when is the end and when do I retire and let it all hang out. I thought to myself that it’s like the passing of the torch for instance, I remember in 2015 when Rory fought Robbie (Lawler) he was 25 years old and that was his first time being on a big platform fighting for the title and it was a great fight and he was 25 then and had double the record of me now. I’ve got half the experience but I think that technically speaking I’m a lot better. I’m a lot better than his era so it’s less about his game and more about me being developed differently than he was for sure.”

Taylor will face Sweden’s Sadibou Sy in the welterweight finals with a million dollars on the line. Sy solidified his spot earlier in the night with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Leal. “I think he’s a good fighter, I think Sy is solid and I think he has really interesting striking, it’s very long, long man style very similar to mine. It’ll be interesting for sure, I can’t wait for that one.”