UFC Ottawa: Stephen Thompson expecting best version of Rory MacDonald post-Robbie Lawler brawl

Following a brutal five-round war against Robbie Lawler at UFC 189 last July, Rory MacDonald looked like something out of Dr. Frankenstein's lab.

See for yourself here.

Despite taking so much punishment, and suffering a brutal loss, Rory declared that he had the time of his life during the 25-minute war against the current welterweight champion of the world.

But how will he bounce back after such a tough fight?

According to Stephen Thompson's comments to ESPN, "Wonderboy" expects to face the best MacDonald in the main event of UFC Fight Night 89 on July 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, not a broken version.

"He did take a lot of damage in that fight. I think he ended up breaking his nose, but I didn't become the fighter that I was if it wasn't for my loss to Matt Brown. I became a better fighter from it. I feel that he's going to be, for my confidence level, just know that I'm ready, I'm prepared for the best Rory MacDonald. That's who I expect when I go out there and face him. I don't like to think that that last fight might have broken him, he may not be the same, and then me go out there and it could be totally different. I'm ready for the worst-case scenario. I'm ready for the best Rory MacDonald."

And he will be hungry, too, as MacDonald is on the last fight of his current deal with the ZUFFA-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, which means he'll be looking to nab himself a decisive victory in order to gain some much-needed leverage when he tests the free agent waters.

It worked wonders for this guy.

As for "Wonderboy," he's looking to pick up an ever-important victory against a former title challenger in order to prove his worth as the next contender at 170 pounds; which means fight fans are in for one hell of a scrap come fight night.

To see all the latest and greatest news and notes for UFC Fight Night 89 click here.