A style clash for the ages!

Fighting Words pits two of our Generation Iron MMA writers against each other in a heated debate on big fight predictions. Jonathan Salmon: June 18th is upon us and with it comes the most anticipated fight of the year…well, for me anyways. Stephen Thompson finally gets to prove his worth by securing a title shot with a beatdown of Rory MacDonald. Rory is certainly a dangerous opponent, but “Wonderboy” just seems to have all the elements of a champion. UFC Fight Night 89 may not be his coming out party, but Thompson will once again make his presence known. Lionel Harris-Spence: I agree, Thompson will make his presence known, but more in a close but no cigar type of way. Rory Macdonald is quite possibly the worst matchup for the karate style fighter as his ground game is on point. Not a slouch on the feet either. Rory will pick his spots and walk down Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and eventually smother him on the feet which will bring it to the ground. Sure, Rory will eat a couple of kicks, but he’ll implement his game plan and win the fight. JS: That’s easy to say. Sure, MacDonald maybe a great pressure fighter, but that is usually against opponents not know for having slick and consistent footwork. Thompson moves unlike anyone “The Red King” has fought before. The pattern of Thompson’s movements is reminiscent of a Dominick Cruz in which the opponent doesn’t know what he’s going to do until it’s too late. There’s also the X Factor to consider… LHS: This is true. Thompson has the type of footwork that few have seen in the UFC, including Rory “The waterboy” Macdonald (geez, how many nicknames doe this guy have), that’s what makes this fight so exciting. However, Rory is always known to have a killer game plan and being the smarter fighter. The problem with his championship bout with current welterweight title holder Robbie “Lawler is that he got into a shootout with a guy they literally call “Ruthless”. Rory is too smart, too experienced, even with the mysterious “X” factor. JS: The X Factor I’m eluding to is the fact that MacDonald going through that kind of brutal war with Lawler is sure to have left some mental scars on him that could effect him in this match up. Thompson has seen almost every kind of striker during his tenure as a kickboxer and though Rory is a disciplined fighter, the accuracy, speed, and tactics presented by Wonderboy will be too much. Couple that in with the fact that his brother-in-law Chris Weidman was one of his key training partners for this match up until his injury gives me confidence that Thompson will avoid a ground battle and keep MacDonald in his world. The Pick: Stephen Thompson by KO, Round 2! LHS: I can agree with that. Rory’s success will largely depend on his recovery from that brutal beating at the hands of Robbie Lawler, but if there’s anything we learned after his loss to Carlos Condit earlier in his career, it’s that the “Red King” only comes back stronger. Considering Rory is also in a contract battle that may all but fall apart if he losses this fight, I think we will see the best Rory Macdonald for this fight. Either way this fight will be a barn burner and for all the reasons stated above. A true fan’s wet dream, the lack of drama in their personalities will be more than made up for in the cage. Rory Macdonald, via decision! Who wins at UFC Fight Night 89? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.