UFC Fight Night Ottawa emanated tonight (June 18, 2016) from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Headlined by a number one contender matchup between Canadian Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson, UFN 89 produced a great night of fights for the fans in attendance in the Great White North.
Unfortunately for the Canadian fans though, their top two hometown fighters did not fare well.
The main event saw a tactical chess match unfold between Thompson and MacDonald. “Wonderboy” continued to prove elusive and, with his newfound takedown defense, an exceedingly tough puzzle to solve. While the fight lacked the action that marked both fighters’ last bouts, it was a fascinating game of cat and mouse nonetheless. MacDonald attempted to pressure and close the distance, but more often than not he was met with sharp counterpunches before the South Carolinian circled away. The action picked up in the fifth and final round, but the finish that the “Red King” needed failed to materialize.
In co-main event action, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone wrecked ultra-durable and crafty Canadian veteran Patrick Cote.
Cerrone overcame his usual slow start by hitting two beautiful reactive takedowns in the first round. From there, he put on a gorgeous and violent kickboxing display, knocking Cote down in every round. The left hook was his weapon of choice, and after hurting “The Predator” with it again in the third, two piston-like right hands put his man down for good. Cerrone waltzed into mount and polished him off as his foe covered up. Cote had never before been stopped by strikes.
Here was MMA Twitter’s reaction to these two pivotal welterweight bouts:
The timing of @Cowboycerrone tkdwns are excellent. Great strategy, better execution. Impressive
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) June 19, 2016
Cerrone rides bulls. How the fuck is Cote supposed to get him off his back? #UFCOttawa
— Shit Joe Rogan Says (@ShitJRoganSays) June 19, 2016
Cowboy looking good #UFCOwatta
— Jerome-Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) June 19, 2016
Cowboy you a baaaaad man!!! ????????
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) June 19, 2016
Cerrone moves to 170 and fucks shit up. Proof that the addition of weight classes is better for the sport #FreeFatStrawweights #UFCOttawa
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) June 19, 2016
Cerrone is killing Cote’s entire body. Smashed nose, knockdowns to the face, destroyed his lead leg, left hooks and kicks to the liver. Frig
— Jordan Breen (@jordanbreen) June 19, 2016
Incredible performance for Cowboy. Gutted for Cote. #ufcottawa
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) June 19, 2016
Yeeeee-HAW!! ???????????? #UFCOttawa
— Yellow Power Ranger (@Sugarhigh5me) June 19, 2016
Cerrone wins via 3rd TKO. Sublime performance by Cowboy.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 19, 2016
Wow! Donald looked amazeballs. I like him at welterweight a whole lot. Grew into that lanky body exceptionally well.
— Stephie (@CrooklynMMA) June 19, 2016
Cerrone is the first man to finish Cote with strikes. Impressive to say the least. Holy shit
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) June 19, 2016
Cerrone vs. Ferguson/Chiesa winner, GSP, or an actual rodeo bull. #matchmaking.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 19, 2016
Patrick Cote went 32 fights at 205, 185 and 170 pounds without getting knocked out until a Cowboy mosses up from 155 and drops the thunder.
— RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA) June 19, 2016
Wow! @Cowboycerrone is really good at this MMA stuff! Lol #UFCOttawa
— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) June 19, 2016
That a boy @Cowboycerrone !!! Always game and always killin it! Happy for you bro! @ufc
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) June 19, 2016
Expert level MMA by @Cowboycerrone Congrats
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) June 19, 2016
FINISH HIM!#UFCOttawa https://t.co/27XdVnZYvA
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 19, 2016
Cote has a chin of iron and Cerrone pummeled him until he essentially couldn’t take any more.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 19, 2016
Cerrone: 170lbs, 155lbs I don’t give a shit. There’s 36 fights on UFC 200 and I think I can get on one of those maybe.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 19, 2016
Congrats to @Cowboycerrone great win, another victory. https://t.co/huz7pRVslf
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) June 19, 2016
Early warmup Cerrone better than motivated BJ Penn? #UFCOttawa
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) June 19, 2016
Here we go, friends. Massive main event on many levels coming up. Been waiting for this for months.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 19, 2016
Main event lets go @rory_macdonald! #UFCOttowa
— Chad Laprise (@ChadLaprise) June 19, 2016
There’s one thing I can say about this fight. Rory MacDonald has seen some shit. #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/SFiY9TUOWm
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) June 19, 2016
#UFCOttowa Rory is having a hard time figuring out Thompson’s timing & distance. Rory tried #InariRoll twice. 10-9 #Wonderboy
— Mark Muñoz (@mark_munoz) June 19, 2016
There’s one thing I can say about this fight. Rory MacDonald has seen some shit. #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/SFiY9TUOWm
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) June 19, 2016
Rory “Rousimar King” MacDonald
— Suzanne Davis (@SoozieCuzie) June 19, 2016
Rory MacDonald’s rolling leglocks could get Wonderboy to second guess his stance. Cool curve ball.
— RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA) June 19, 2016
I’ve never been in a fight but if I were I’d love to roll like Rory then maybe she’d just think the f was that I’m going home
— MS (@UFC_Obsessed) June 19, 2016
This is gonna be tough sledding for Rory. He can’t take Wonderboy down and is going to get outclassed in standup.
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) June 19, 2016
Somewhat surprising lack of action. Very tactical battle with neither man taking too many chances. 10-9 Thompson again. #UFCOttawa
— Sherdog.com (@sherdogdotcom) June 19, 2016
Gotta suck knowing the company you work for basically gives zero fucks if you stay or go. #FreeAgency
— Stephie (@CrooklynMMA) June 19, 2016
“Still unable to get off with great consistency.”
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) June 19, 2016
Crowd keeps booing but this is a tactical fight. Both are landing decent. Both fighters are tacticians so I expected a back and forth fight
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) June 19, 2016
I thought MacDonald was finding his range there for a second, figuring Thompson out. Then I remembered Thompson is an amorphous gypsy.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 19, 2016
The crowd is the dumbz. https://t.co/4Pp2e7aDje
— Yellow Power Ranger (@Sugarhigh5me) June 19, 2016
Looks like a fight might break out here in the 5th. #UFCOttawa
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) June 19, 2016
This fight reminds me of how people feel like shutdown corners don’t do anything in the NFL because balls never go their way. #UFCOttawa
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) June 19, 2016
That, my friends, is the best welterweight in the world. This interim title fight between Lawler and Woodley needs to get done quick.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) June 19, 2016
@ufc Just accidentally turn my tv off on this main event #boring #zzzzz
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) June 19, 2016
I fucking hate it when analysts criticize the loser rather than talk about the winner and the fight etc.
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) June 19, 2016
So I RIPPED my pants jeering for @WonderboyMMA! ???? Well worth the embarrassing moment! #UFCOttawa
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) June 19, 2016
Congrats @WonderboyMMA
— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) June 19, 2016
Hard for me to imagine ANYTHING messing with Rory Mac mentally. Dude is stone faced all the time, no matter what
— Lauren Murphy (@LaurenMurphyMMA) June 19, 2016
One more win closer @WonderboyMMA Congrats. #goodwork @ufc https://t.co/CJ8tmCMoyY
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) June 19, 2016
The Canadian fans are booing as they exit the arena in a single file line. “BOOOOOOooo..pardon..ooooOo!” #UFCOttawa
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) June 19, 2016
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