UFC Fight Night: Rory MacDonald vs Stephen Thompson preview

UFC welterweight and commentator Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend's contest between the No.1 and No.2 ranked fighters in the UFC’s 170lbs division

Rory MacDonald (Getty)

UFC returns to Canada this weekend and Ottawa will be the proving ground for the next welterweight title challenger. Current number one ranked contender and Canadian native, Rory MacDonald, will attempt to defend his spot against the man hot on his heels, number two ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. I expect a very tightly-matched bout between two vastly different athletes.

MacDonald is the tough, ‘push forward’ type, using crisp but basic boxing to set up his wrestling offensive. He favours a heavy top control, and ground and pound to wear his opponent out before threatening the finish. Wonderboy on the other hand, is fast and elusive, utilising his reaction time and slick footwork to keep him out of trouble and put him in advantageous positions to catch his foe with a highlight reel-worthy knockout.

When the former champion and stablemate of MacDonald, Georges St Pierre, retired, it shifted a lot of the focus onto Rory. Many believed he would take GSP’s place at the top of the division but it hasn’t quite come to fruition yet. Since MacDonald’s loss to Carlos Condit in his second bout with the organisation, back in 2010 at UFC 115, he has been a very different fighter. He went on a tear, beating five notable fighters including Jake Ellenberger, Nate Diaz and BJ Penn.

His only setbacks since have been two hard-fought losses to the current champion, Robbie Lawler, the first at UFC 157 in November 2013 and the second a title fight at UFC 189 last year. But MacDonald has maintained his status at the top by beating other highly-ranked contenders like Tarec Saffiedine, Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley. There is no doubt that on any given night MacDonald has the potential to take the belt for himself. His skills are proven and aged only 26, he has plenty of time to realise his potential.

Stephen Thompson has been a bit more of a surprise contender. Crossing over from kick-boxing with a record of 57-0, his stand-up game has always been on point. In his only loss he faced Matt Brown at UFC 145 more than four years ago, who is known for grinding out the victory in an ugly fashion. There was just no space for Wonderboy to work his magic but it was an excellent lesson in MMA. Improvements in his game since are apparent, and now that he has confidence in his takedown defence, his striking is even more dangerous.

Matt Brown (top) grapples with Stephen Thompson during their welterweight bout for UFC 145 at Philips Arena on April 21, 2012 (Getty)

If MacDonald can pin him down, it could be a long night for Thompson, who has shown little offensive off his back. However, if he can keep enough space to cut his angles and use his diverse striking, we could see MacDonald picking himself up off the canvas and asking what happened. From personal experience however, I can tell you that MacDonald is a big, strong, aggressive fighter, with a well-balanced understanding of the whole MMA game.

Wonder boy is still very much the specialist in a sport that combines all aspects of hand-to-hand combat. He has a good handle on the wrestling game, but it’s no secret where his advantage is in this. In the same week I trained with Rory, St Pierre told me himself that Thompson was one of the best strikers he’d ever worked with, and he had been there the week previous helping Georges out for an upcoming fight.

Keeping the Canadian theme going, all the way down the main card we have local fighters taking on foreign talent, in very competitive match-ups. In the co-main event, fan favourite Donald “Cowboy’ Cerrone moves up to welterweight to face Patrick Cote in what can only be a striking battle. The fight before that features somewhat of an ice hockey legend in Steve Bosse, now focusing on the best aspects of his on-ice game… the fist-fighting!

In his last bout, at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Mir, Bosse starched James Tehuna in 52 seconds to add the first UFC victory to his professional record. Bosse’s opponent is Sean O’Connell, a Jeremy Horn student with over half of his wins coming by knockout.

Opening up the main card we have Scotland’s own Joanne Calderwood, now representing the Tristar gym in Montreal. She is facing Valerie Letourneau, who is returning to action following her unsuccessful title shot against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in November last year.

Lots of great fights, plenty of important match-ups for the rankings, and some fan-favourite fights guaranteed to get those in attendance out of their seats. The Canadian fans are always very passionate about the sport and in particular, their local athletes. With a card loaded with native and international talent, there is something for everyone to look forward to.

Watch UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson live on BT Sport 2 from 1:30am BST on Sunday morning, or catch the Early Prelims from 11:45pm BST on Saturday on UFC Fight Pass.