All three of the major American MMA promotions (World Series of Fighting, Bellator, and UFC) will be airing live shows this weekend. WSOF and Bellator even have title fights on their respective shows. Blagoy Ivanov defends his WSOF Heavyweight Championship against Josh Copeland and Marcos Galvao will try to retain the Bellator Bantamweight Championship against Eduardo Dantas in a rematch. In addition, there are recognizable fighters and prospects scattered throughout these cards this weekend. Fighters like Ali Bagautinov, Elias Theodorou, Sam Alvey, Chidi Njokuani, Chris Honeycutt, and Mike Ricci are all fighting on Friday or Saturday night.
Not to slight any of these aforementioned fighters, but one fight, in particular, is unlike all the rest. It features two guys in their primes each fighting for enormous stakes. Simply put, Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson are fighting on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 89 and it will be awesome. If you only have time to watch one fight this weekend, this is the one.
Here are ten quick reasons why.
1. MacDonald vs. Thompson pits the number 1 and number 2 ranked welterweights in the UFC against one another. Theoretically, the winner of this fight should get the next crack at the UFC Welterweight Championship. It could potentially be a life changing fight for both guys and lead to the shake up of the entire welterweight division.
2. It will be MacDonald’s first fight back following his brutal loss to current UFC Welterweight Champ Robbie Lawler last July. Over the course of that twenty-plus minute fight, MacDonald’s face was literally destroyed. It was a memorable, ugly fight where MacDonald took one of the worst beatings in UFC history. It will be interesting to see if MacDonald can bounce back from it and still be the dominant fighter he once was. Some fighters never return to form after taking a loss the way MacDonald did.
3. Stephen Thompson is coming off the biggest win of his career. Back in February, Thompson beat Johny Hendricks by TKO in the first round. It was an emphatic victory that made fans and fighters take notice. In that moment, everyone learned that Thompson was no joke and a legitimate title contender. Some were even arguing that Thompson deserved a title shot back then. If he can beat MacDonald, he will have definitely earned it.
4. It’s a classic matchup of the early and late bloomer. MacDonald was essentially a MMA prodigy. He began his pro career at the age of 16 in Canada and debuted in the UFC only four years later. He has beaten top fighters like Nate Diaz, BJ Penn, Tyron Woodley, and Demian Maia. At 26 years old, MacDonald seems like a grizzled UFC vet, but he is still young enough to make some serious noise for years to come. In contrast, Thompson gained notoriety as an elite kickboxer in the early 2000’s; winning multiple championships across the US. Thompson did not have his first pro MMA fight until he was close to 29 years old. Despite taking up MMA much later in life, Thompson has amassed a 12-1 pro record and is one step away from a UFC title shot.
5. Both guys have awesome fight monikers. MacDonald is called the “Red King” and Thompson is nicknamed “Wonderboy.”
6. This is the final fight on MacDonald’s UFC contract. He has made his intentions known. He essentially plans to shop himself around and will go to the highest bidder. He is taking a gamble however. If MacDonald wins, the UFC and other MMA promotions will be desperate to sign him. But if he loses to Thompson, that will be two losses in a row and he could be viewed as past his prime, with little negotiating leverage left.
7. The fight itself should be exciting. MacDonald often likes to stand and trade, using his stiff jab to keep distance. While, Thompson, with his kickboxing pedigree, is one of the best strikers in the UFC. There is a good chance that MacDonald will try to take this fight to the ground, where Thompson would be at a significant disadvantage. If this does stay standing though, expect some serious fireworks.
8. MacDonald may have extra motivation headed into the fight because he is expecting his first child, a baby girl in July.
9. The live crowd reactions will be wild. MacDonald grew up in Canada and has lived in Montreal for years. Canadians tend to enthusiastically support their own. Expect the crowd in Ottawa to be backing MacDonald and booing Thompson vociferously.
10. This fight is airing live on free TV. We don’t even have to pay for it. How could it be any better?
The UFC Fight Night 89 main card airs on Fox Sports 1 at 10:30 pm EST on Saturday, June 18. Do not miss this fight. It’s special. If you have the time there are other good fights on this card too, like Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote and Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood. The WSOF and Bellator cards have some decent fights too, but no one has time to watch them all. If you have to pick and choose MacDonald vs. Thompson is the way to go.
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