By Hunter Homistek

The UFC makes its Ottawa debut Saturday, June 18, with UFC Fight Night 89.

Fans don't need to look past the main event to get excited about this one. Top-ranked welterweights Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson will throw down in an apparent number-one contender bout. It's not just the golden implications that make this fight so appealing, though. Stylistically, the fight is almost guaranteed to thrill—more on that later.

A co-main event between Donald Cerrone and Patrick Cote adds another dash of mainstream appeal to the card, but digging further, there's plenty to get excited about with UFC Fight Night 89.

Let's examine some of the primary reasons to tune into Fox Sports 1 Saturday evening.

1. It's obvious, but my goodness is it good

There's been so much said about the MacDonald vs. Thompson scrap it almost feels unnecessary to mention. If you're not convinced, though, just consider each man's skill set.

Thompson may be the best striker in all of MMA, while MacDonald is a genuine prodigy inside the cage. Both men are lifelong, elite-level martial artists.

When thinking about the matchup, I keep coming back to MacDonald's sophomore appearance inside the Octagon. At UFC 115, a 20-year-old MacDonald put Carlos Condit through all sorts of trouble, arguably winning the fight until a late surge from Condit sealed the deal in Round 3. This was a Condit who had already won and defended WEC gold, and MacDonald was hanging with—and occasionally besting—him in the various disciplines of the fight game.

That doesn't happen by accident.

Since then, MacDonald continued to grow and develop under Firas Zahabi, and now he stands as one of the most well-rounded fighters in all of MMA. Had he not faced a cyborg version of Robbie Lawler at UFC 189, he'd be the UFC welterweight champion right now. 

Thompson, meanwhile, kicks and punches like few others who have ever stepped into the Octagon. His understanding of distance and his ability to gauge what to throw—and exactly when to throw it—is unparalleled. He doesn't possess an "X Factor" so much as his entire game is unequaled, and that makes him a terrifying opponent for anyone.

This fight is like a roulette wheel with all reds. You really just can't lose.

2. Is 125 better for you?

Valerie Letourneau and Joanna Calderwood are unquestionably two of the best combatants in women's MMA today. They've each shown flashes of brilliance throughout their careers, but neither has ascended to the top of the sport just yet.

In the UFC, something has just seemed a touch off with these two.

Letourneau hung with strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk for five rounds at UFC 193, ultimately losing a clear-cut decision. The loss dropped her to 3-1 inside the Octagon, but you just got the feeling she wasn't quite showing her full skill set inside the cage during that run.

The same can be said for Calderwood, who was touted as one of the most devastating strikers in the sport upon making her UFC debut. Calderwood is 2-1 under the UFC banner, and like Letourneau, she hasn't set the world on fire as expected.

So what's been holding them back? That question remains to be answered, but we could take a step toward finding a solution at UFC Fight Night 89, as their main-card scrap will be contested at 125 pounds, 10 pounds north of their past home at strawweight.

Each fighter is big for 115, so a reduced weight cut could pay dividends. We'll see if this theory proves true Saturday evening.

3. 'The Barncat' is back

The career resurgence of Tamdan McCrory is not getting enough love.

"The Barncat" disappeared from MMA altogether in 2009 after a split-decision loss to John Howard at UFC 101. After reevaluating his life, becoming a family man, and rededicating himself to the sport, he's emerged better than ever.

The UFC wouldn't have him back right away when he decided to return to action in 2014, so he went to Bellator and wrecked house. A 21-second knockout of Brennan Ward and a 66-second submission of Jason Butcher later, and McCrory made his way back to the Octagon.

There, he submitted Josh Samman with a triangle choke in Round 3 of their UFC on Fox 16 affair.

It's cliché to say, but it's true: McCrory is back and better than ever. He's beating better opponents in more devastating fashion. Does his success continue at UFC Fight Night 89 against Krzysztof Jotko, or does the Polish fighter pull the plug on The Barncat's comeback tour?

4. Getting back on track

Momentum is real in MMA. Frequently, fighters' career paths are defined by runs—both of winning and of losing.

The UFC Fight Pass featured bout between Elias Theodorou and Sam Alvey carries momentous implications. Both fighters are coming off a loss, but both losses came only after impressive winning streaks.

Theodorou strolled into his UFC Fight Night 80 bout against Thiago Santos at 11-0 as a pro. He was a winner of The Ultimate Fighter, and he was, by some accounts, the future face of Canadian MMA. Santos put an end to all that, outclassing Theodorou for three rounds and halting the winning streak.

Alvey's winning streak wasn't quite as lengthy, but it was equally impressive. Following a decision loss to Tom Watson at UFC Fight Night 47, Alvey found himself and settled in as a legitimate threat at 185. Three straight first-round knockouts followed, and Alvey's star was bright.

Derek Brunson dimmed it in an instant. The Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA product stopped Alvey in just over two minutes at UFC Fight Night 73, and Alvey's momentum was crushed.

Now at UFC Fight Night 89, one man will take another step toward obscurity in the middleweight division. One loss is not a career crusher, but back-to-back defeats can be tough to come back from. Momentum works both ways, and one poor performance can lead to two and to three in a flash.

Both Alvey and Theodorou desperately need a win to avoid learning this lesson firsthand.