Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night ‘MacDonald vs. Thompson’

Stephen Thompson can sit back, relax and wait for the remaining pieces to fall in place. His work is done for now.

Thompson cemented himself as the No. 1 contender for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title with a five-round unanimous decision over Rory MacDonald in the UFC Fight Night “MacDonald vs. Thompson” main event on Saturday at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario. “Wonderboy” drew 50-45, 50-45 and 48-47 marks from the judges, as he ran his career-best winning streak to seven fights.

In his first appearance since his technical knockout loss to welterweight champion Robbie Lawler a little less than a year ago, MacDonald never seemed comfortable; and Thompson took advantage of the unexpected passivity. According to preliminary FightMetric figures, “Wonderboy” doubled MacDonald’s output in terms of total strikes landed, 124-62, and nearly did the same in the significant-strikes-landed department, 110-61. Thompson threw and landed more strikes in all five rounds while also denying MacDonald’s only two takedown attempts.

During his current seven-fight tear, Thompson has developed into an elite welterweight against increasingly difficult opposition, starting with Nah-Shon Burrell at UFC 160 in May 2013 and ending with MacDonald in the Great White North. In between, the South Carolina-based karateka posted victories over Chris Clements, Robert Whittaker, Patrick Cote, Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks. Thompson could not have mapped out a better run at 170 pounds.

In wake of UFC Fight Night “MacDonald vs. Thompson,” here are five matchups that ought to be considered:

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Stephen Thompson vs. Robbie Lawler-Tyron Woodley winner: Thompson, 31, has put seven straight wins in the books since losing a unanimous decision to Matt Brown at UFC 145 four years ago. He raised eyebrows by disposing of Hendricks with first-round punches in February and then strengthened his case for a title shot by outclassing MacDonald across five rounds in his latest appearance. Lawler will defend the welterweight crown against Woodley in the UFC 201 main event on July 30 in Atlanta, with Thompson waiting in the wings.

Donald Cerrone vs. Matt Brown-Jake Ellenberger winner: Perhaps Cerrone’s stay in the welterweight division will last longer than originally expected. “Cowboy” tuned up Cote in a third-round technical knockout, turning their co-headliner into a mismatch. Cerrone surprised “The Predator” with two perfectly timed takedowns in the first round and then proceeded to pick him apart with punches and kicks. He scored three knockdowns before becoming the first man to stop Cote with strikes. Cerrone has won 10 of his past 11 bouts, the last two of them at 170 pounds. Brown will face Ellenberger at UFC 201 in July.

Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade: A series of Calderwood body kicks unraveled Valerie Letourneau and led to a stoppage in the third round of their undercard battle at 125 pounds. Afterward, Calderwood indicated her desire to return to the strawweight division, where contenders continue to jockey for position behind champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and rival Claudia Gadelha. Andrade made a dazzling debut in the 115-pound weight class at UFC 199, as she blew away former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Jessica Penne with second-round punches.

Misha Cirkunov vs. Nikita Krylov-Ed Herman winner: Cirkunov by now should have the attention of the rest of the light heavyweight division. The Canada-based Latvian spoiled the organizational debut of Ion Cutelaba, as he submitted the promising newcomer with a third-round arm-triangle choke. Cirkunov, 29, has rattled off seven straight victories, all of them finishes, and figures to move quickly in the shallow waters at 205 pounds. Krylov and Herman will lock horns at UFC 201 on July 30.

Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit: After back-to-back defeats to Lawler and Thompson, MacDonald’s immediate future has become cloudy. The 26-year-old Canadian has fulfilled his current contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and will likely be a much-sought-after free agent in the coming weeks and months. Should MacDonald re-sign with the UFC, he will have no shortage of options in the welterweight division. Condit last fought at UFC 195 on Jan. 2, when he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Lawler and fell short in his bid to capture the undisputed welterweight championship. The “Natural Born Killer” has a history with MacDonald: He handed the Tristar Gym standout his first professional loss in 2010, finishing him with ground-and-pound in the closing seconds of their UFC 115 matchup.