NEW YORK – No sooner did Rory MacDonald advance in the welterweight grand prix than questions emerged about his ability to continue. After a grueling quarterfinal fight with Jon Fitch that ended in an unpopular draw, MacDonald openly questioned his willingness to continue competing.

Five days after the fight, Bellator president Scott Coker said MacDonald was ready to move on to the semifinals against Neiman Gracie. According to MacDonald, there was a very powerful incentive for him to continue.

“They basically were like, ‘You’ve got to fight, or you’re not in the tournament,'” MacDonald told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s Bellator 222 media day ahead of his Friday night fight vs. Gracie. “I wasn’t really willing to do that.”

And by that, MacDonald means giving up the belt, which is part of the advertising campaign for the eight-man tournament. The winner not only takes home a $1 million prize, but the welterweight title.

“I would have got the boot,” MacDonald told MMA Junkie. “So I’m going to go in there and show that, when they put pressure on me, I’ll come back harder and show that I’m the champion.”

When MacDonald signed on to the tournament, part of the appeal was knowing who he was going to fight. Now that he’s got the schedule, he’s had some second thoughts about what he signed up for, given the scarce time to heal from back-to-back championship fights.

“I wouldn’t have minded if the fight was later on, maybe in July,” he said. “Because at the time, my elbow and cut and things, thinking in my head, will I be able to train properly for this, or will I be sitting on my butt and have to fight with no hard sparring or hard training.

“That was making me think I should have fought a little later, because I didn’t know if my injuries were going to heal in time. But they did heal in time, thank god.”

The pending birth of his son could provide a much-needed break if MacDonald is successful against Gracie. He hopes to conclude the tournament by year’s end, which is in line with the promotion’s expectations. But MacDonald isn’t underestimating the threat Gracie presents.

“He’s fighting for the world title, so I can’t overlook him because he has nine fights,” MacDonald said. “I was once that guy, too, where I was on my way up, and maybe those veterans who were used to fighting other veterans, thinking, I’m just going to squash this young guy.

“I don’t look at it that way. I’m fighting for a world title, and I plan on putting my ‘A’ game in there, no matter who I’m up against.”

Along the way, MacDonald will answer those questions in the most definitive way possible.

For more on Bellator 222, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.