The UFC Fight Night 89 main event between Rory MacDonald and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson had everything one could want out of a fight.
Both men are amazing talents; MacDonald is one of the most well-rounded, cerebral men in the sport, while Thompson is one of the best pure strikers to set foot in the cage. The stakes were incredibly high; Thompson was all but guaranteed a title shot in victory, while MacDonald was on the last fight of his UFC contract. The outcome was completely uncertain; questions were swirling about MacDonald's physical state following his UFC 189 war with Robbie Lawler and Thompson's game was progressing at an amazing rate.
Fans and pundits were excited for the fight, and for darn good reason. While it didn't pan out to be the bloodbath some were expecting, it was still a tense affair.
The fight started respectfully. For two rounds, MacDonald appreciated Thompson's lethal striking, and Thompson didn't overextend and give MacDonald a chance to close the distance. There were occasional spurts of action with MacDonald attempting multiple rolling heel hooks and Thompson flicking his lightning-quick side kicks. For the most part, however, there was very little in the way of exchanges.
Things picked up a tad in the third and fourth. MacDonald pressed forward more, landing some punches but eating a number of counters in return. Still, neither man could find consistent, steady success on offense.
The fifth saw MacDonald put a bit more urgency into his approach, landing left hooks and body kicks but once again soaking up hard shots any time he got in range. Eventually, MacDonald pulled guard on Thompson but was unable to convert it into a dominant position. MacDonald appeared to be staggered by a jab, but Thompson didn't look to finish off it. With some back-and-forth action in the final minute, with the best strike being a MacDonald knee in the clinch, the final round was as ambiguous as the first four.
The fight ended with the winner uncertain but the statistics clearly favoring Thompson due to his rangy, albeit less-than-destructive, in this instance, kicking game. That light output proved to be the difference for the judges, with Wonderboy winning the bout via unanimous decision, to the tune of 50-45, 50-45 and 48-47.
It's precisely the outcome the UFC was looking for from the fight. With Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley main eventing next month's UFC 201, MacDonald was in too strong a position at the negotiating table due to his utter domination of Woodley in 2014 and could have potentially hit free agency as the No. 1 welterweight in MMA. MacDonald taking a clean loss makes him damaged goods and allows the UFC to comfortably let him go to Bellator if it can't strike a company-friendly deal.
Also worth noting is that it builds up Thompson for his now-inevitable title shot. Despite his immense skills, the UFC has put no real effort into promoting Thompson to this point in his career and likely wasn't expecting him to steamroll Johny Hendricks in February. Thompson now owns some recognition among casual fans and could become a star if he can take the title later this year.
It's an interesting time for MMA fans and for the welterweight division, and things could change radically by year's end. Ultimately, though, one thing will stay the same: The house always wins.
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