UFC Fight Night 89 Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks
The Octagon travels to Ottawa this Saturday night for UFC Fight Night 89. The host country of Canada is well-represented throughout the event, including on the main card, which features a Canadian in each bout.
Headlining the show is a welterweight scrap between Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson. MacDonald, fresh off a narrowly missed title shot, will look to get back in the win column by besting the surging Thompson, who enters riding a six-fight win streak.
Fan-favorite Patrick Cote takes on Donald Cerrone in the evening's co-main event. Cote has won three in a row, while Cerrone is hoping to build off a successful welterweight debut, which he kicked off earlier this year.
Rounding out the main card is a trio of contests ranging from flyweight to light heavyweight. The docket looks like this:
UFC Fight Night 89 Main Card
- Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
- Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote
- Steve Bosse vs. Sean O'Connell
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Thibault Gouti
- Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood
The agenda boasts some competitive propositions, which only the most advanced intellects could suss out. That's why we've assembled the Bleacher Report picks team. It's the closest we could get.
Read on for predictions from Scott "Hold the Door" Harris, Sydnie "Joffrey" Jones, Nathan "The Mountain" McCarter, Steven "Red Viper" Rondina and Craig "Aegon" Amos.
Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood
1 of 5
Nathan McCarter
I might side with Calderwood if this fight were at 115 pounds, but remember that this is a special flyweight encounter. Also, this event will have the early weigh-ins that we saw at UFC 199. That will benefit Letourneau immensely.
Letourneau, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Nathan raises a good point about how the classification of this fight might impact the action. Add in that Letourneau has simply looked like a better fighter of late, and she's the pick for me.
Letourneau, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Calderwood is in new territory now at 125 pounds since moving her camp to the Tristar Gym. She's been unable to put it all together to this point, and I'm going to assume that will be the case until further notice. A scrappy Letourneau will put the screws to the Scotswoman.
Letourneau, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Calderwood's bread and butter is clinch striking, and Letourneau's bread and butter is clinch grappling. Jojo will probably have her back to the cage for the majority of the fight, and that will prove to be the difference.
Letourneau, unanimous decision
Sydnie Jones
Letourneau, submission, Rd. 2
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Thibault Gouti
2 of 5
Nathan McCarter
I don't mean to totally discount Gouti here, but this matchup reeks of home cooking. Aubin-Mercier has to come away with a finish. It will be one-sided and end with a submission as soon as Aubin-Mercier finds the opening.
Aubin-Mercier, submission, Rd. 2
Scott Harris
Gouti is here as a balance to an equation. Aubin-Mercier should coast in this one, thanks in large part to his wrestling and grappling.
Aubin-Mercier, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
The UFC wants Olivier Aubin-Mercier to succeed, and this kind of matchup helps that cause.
Aubin-Mercier, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
There's no two ways of looking at it—Aubin-Mercier's loss to Carlos Ferreira was disappointing, and it raises questions about his upside. Gouti, however, simply isn't on the same level.
Aubin-Mercier, submission, Rd. 1
Sydnie Jones
Aubin-Mercier, unanimous decision
Steve Bosse vs. Sean O'Connell
3 of 5
Nathan McCarter
O'Connell isn't a great fighter, but he is better than Bosse. He just has to avoid being on the receiving end of one of the haymakers Bosse will throw. He will, and he'll be able to put Bosse on the mat in the first round. It'll finish shortly thereafter.
O'Connell, submission, Rd. 1
Scott Harris
O'Connell is the mixed martial artist here, while Bosse is the brawler. He'll have a brawler's chance, but I don't see that chance occurring.
O'Connell, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Bosse isn't exactly championship material...but O'Connell got knocked out by Ryan Jimmo. He has what it takes to get the win.
Bosse, TKO, Rd. 2
Craig Amos
Bosse is a limited fighter, but, man, he has power. O'Connell has the unfortunate habit of being hit when he fights, and that just isn't going to fly this Saturday night. Even though O'Connell has more weapons, this is a troubling matchup for him.
Bosse, knockout, Rd. 1
Sydnie Jones
Bosse, TKO, Rd. 1
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Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote
4 of 5
Nathan McCarter
For my money, this is the most difficult fight to pick on the card. Cerrone looked great earlier this year at 170, but Cote isn't Alex Oliveira. I think this is the fight that sends Cerrone back to lightweight. Cote's strength and power will be too much for Cerrone to overcome. Cote will attack the body and work him over on the cage in the final two rounds.
Cote, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
There's a significant size difference between Cerrone, who moved up from lightweight, and Cote, who started his career at light heavyweight. I'm sorely tempted to pick Cote because of that—and because he has the clinch game to grind this out—but I think he'll be pulled into a slugfest and Cerrone will chop him down.
Cerrone, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Cote isn't as sexy a name as Cerrone, but he's a crafty veteran that's good at range and in the clinch. Add to that a massive size advantage, and you have an upset on your hands.
Cote, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Cote might be fighting at the highest level of his career right now, but a supremely talented opponent like Cerrone marks a difficult task. The Canadian will have trouble matching Cerrone's speed, while his wrestling will only lead to a dead end on the ground.
Cerrone, submission, Rd. 2
Sydnie Jones
Cerrone, knockout, Rd. 3
Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
5 of 5
Nathan McCarter
Thompson enters riding high, but I'll take the Canadian here. The time away from the cage will revitalize him, and Thompson's style isn't the kind that will outright give him big problems. He doesn't pressure the way a Robbie Lawler does. It'll allow MacDonald time to assess and act. After wearing on Thompson, MacDonald submits him in the third.
MacDonald, submission, Rd. 3
Scott Harris
Granted, this is boiled down, but Rory is too complete a fighter for Thompson. MacDonald will find a way to get inside and get takedowns, and it's his world from there.
MacDonald, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Thompson's an amazing fighter and could easily take this fight, but MacDonald has only lost via sustained brutality. Unless Thompson can sneak a kick in and get a clean knockout, MacDonald should be able to work him over in the clinch en route to a decision win.
MacDonald, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Most people consider MacDonald to be one of the best welterweights on the planet, but he has come painfully close to being much more than that. Of three career losses, two came when he was less than one round away from winning a decision. The other was a split decision. While Thompson is a real threat to hand MacDonald his fourth defeat, MacDonald will keep the karate stylist from settling in and eventually finish him on the canvas.
MacDonald, TKO, Rd. 4
Sydnie Jones
MacDonald, TKO, Rd. 2
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