But is Pyle ready for a test like MacDonald?
"The Waterboy" will square off against "Quicksand" at the upcoming UFC 133: "Evans vs. Davis" event on Aug. 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
And don't be surprised to see the winner inching their way into the 170-pound title hunt.
MacDonald was last seen chin-checking and absolutely wrecking Nate Diaz, doing him dirty back at UFC 129 on April 30 in Toronto. That impressive victory was enough to erase the memory of his late-round fallout against Carlos Condit in June 2010.
At just 21-years-old and already 11-1 in his budding career, the Tristar product is getting his chance to jump up the welterweight ladder by disposing of a surging veteran.
And as he reveals on his most recent blog, he's traded in his fear for confidence:
"I still get nervous even now, but experience allows me to deal with it all far better than I did back then. Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones both say that they experience butterflies, but that they make them fly in formation. I love that saying ... I am now 21 and am currently competing in the UFC. On August 6, I will face Mike Pyle at UFC 133 in Philadelphia. I'm sure I'll be nervous, just hopefully not to the extent I was at 16. Preparation has allowed me to have confidence in myself and subsequently I am looking forward to August 6, rather than fearing it ... I had a great day of sparring on Saturday at the Tristar Gym in Montreal. I'm feeling sharp, fit and strong and am exactly where I need to be at this point in time. I've been training full-on now for six to eight weeks and didn't even really take a day off after beating Nate Diaz in April. I simply moved straight into this camp, which was great, because every fighter likes to stay busy ... Although I'm still young, in fighting terms, I feel old and experienced beyond my years. I am ready for a test like Pyle..."
Pyle has been in the game for over a decade, amassing a 21-7-1 record with every promotion under the sun. His latest stint with UFC has seen him come away victorious his last three times out to the cage.
His most recent win, over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 128, sent the "Big Dog" into retirement and "Quicksand" on the fast track to bigger and better things.
If he defeats a fast-rising prospect like MacDonald, the sky's the limit.
Early predictions for this welterweight scrap?