• UFC on Fox 5

Reputation holds no weight for MacDonald

ESPN staff
December 6, 2012

Rory MacDonald believes BJ Penn is fighting for the wrong reasons and has warned the former two-weight UFC champion he is at risk of being exposed.

The highly-rated MacDonald, who takes on Penn at UFC on Fox 5 this weekend, believes the Prodigy is more concerned with his reputation than winning fights.

"I think he's fighting for the wrong reasons and it's going to get him hurt," MacDonald said.

"He's fighting for his status. It's something that isn't real. He wants to change people's opinions. He doesn't realise that those aren't real. I'm fighting to hurt him. Not for someone's opinion."

While MacDonald insists he respects what Penn - a former lightweight and welterweight champion - has done for mixed martial arts, the Canadian insists that will count for nothing when they step into the Octagon in Seattle on Saturday night.

"He goes down in history for sure," he said. "It doesn't make a difference for what's going to happen. Status is just that. It's temporary in this world, in this sport.

"I'm focused on beating the person, not the status. It doesn't play a role in fighting, so why focus on it?"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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