UFC Fight Night 89 start time, TV schedule, who is fighting today at 'MacDonald vs Thompson'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Canada this evening (Sat., June 18, 2016), as The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontarios plays host to UFC Fight Night 89: "MacDonald vs. Thompson" live on FOX Sports 1.

Catch all the action LIVE with a main card start time of 10:30 p.m. ET (for up-to-date UFC Fight Night 89 results click here).

Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event.

Who: Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson 
What: UFC Fight Night 89
When: Sat., June 18, 2016, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa

How To Watch: Main card at 10:30 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 2 "Prelims" at 8:30 p.m ET, and UFC Fight Pass early "Prelims" under card at 6:30 p.m ET

Live UFC Fight Night 89 results: Play-by-play coverage stream right here

Why It Matters: The true importance of UFC Fight Night 89 lies within the absolutely sensational main event of the evening.

One of the most exciting fighters in the world today, Stephen Thompson, will put his six-fight winning streak on the line against a truly elite fighter in Rory MacDonald.

There are so many questions heading into this main event:

Can "Red King" bounce back after one of the most violent and brutal losses in UFC history at the hands of the Welterweight champ Robbie Lawler?

Can "Wonderboy" continue his incredible streak of knockouts against one of the most durable fighters in the world?

Who will earn a UFC title shot with a victory?

Ultimately, this fight could prove to be one of the best in 2016 if both MacDonald and Thompson perform to the best of their capabilities.

Strap in fight fans, we're in for a treat on FOX Sports 1.

What's Hot: Outside of the main event, UFC Fight Night 89 features a handful of very intriguing bouts, highlighted by Donald Cerrone's Welterweight debut against longtime contender Patrick Cote.

"Cowboy" is the epitome of a "fan-favorite" as his thrilling style both in and outside the Octagon has made him a must watch every time he steps into the cage.

Don't expect much to change with Cerrone moving up in weight, but it will be interesting to see the size difference come fight night.

If "Cowboy" wins in emphatic fashion -- as he so often does -- the UFC's already stacked Welterweight division will add yet another dangerous contender.

What's Not: UFC matchmakers have done a splendid job with UFC Fight Night 89, putting together a card stacked from top to bottom with compelling bouts.

If I had to nitpick, I would mention my displeasure with having Tamdan McCrory fight Krzysztof Jotko following his utter beatdown of Josh Samman in his UFC return.

In my estimation, McCrory deserves a fight against a contender, not a relatively unknown -- and highly dangerous -- prospect.

Original Card vs. Actual Card:

Fight fans have unfortunately become accustomed to marquee fights dropping off UFC events, but UFC Fight Night 89 will move forward relatively unscathed.

The major loss was Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, who was slated to battle Chris Beal on the "Prelims." When Yamamoto was pulled from the bout due to injury, he was replaced by former UFC title challenger Joe Soto.

Colby Covington was originally set to fight Alex Garcia tonight, but Garcia was replaced by Jonathan Meunier following an injury.In my estimation, the "Barncat" earned a fight against a veteran contender, but instead he'll fight a relatively unknown prospect instead.

New Blood:

Jonathan Meunier (vs. Colby Covington): Undefeated 7-0 Tristar Gym product Jonathan Meunier makes his highly anticipated UFC debut this evening in Ottawa. Taking on fellow highly touted prospect Colby Covington, "District" will get a stiff test early on in his UFC career. With each career victory coming via finish, expect Meunier to look to make a statement early, and take out Covington in Canada.

Ion Cutelaba (vs. Misha Cirkunov): A 22-year old wrecking machine makes his Octagon debut against a fellow highly touted prospect in Misha Cirkunov. Ion Cutelaba is 11-1 in his MMA career, with every victory coming via finish. His lone defeat was a DQ for strikes to the back of the head. Play close attention to this fight.

How The "Prelims" Look:

If you are a fan of watching MMA prospects, you'll unquestionably be intrigued by the UFC Fight Night 89 "Prelims."

Colby Covington, Jonathan Meunier, Misha Cirkunov, Krzysztof Jotko, Elias Theodorou, and Geane Herrera all deserve your attention.

If prospects isn't exactly your cup of tea, you'll probably enjoy the always exciting Chris Beal, the heavy-handed Sam Alvey, the dangerous Tamdan McCrory, and more.

As I stated previously, UFC Fight Night 89 is a stacked card from top to bottom.

Interest Level: 8/10

UFC Fight Night 89 is a must watch event for fight fans.

The main event could arguably be the most intriguing on-paper UFC matchup in the Welterweight division, and I am thrilled to see how "Wonderboy" manages to top his impeccable performance against Johny Hendricks.

While most of the focus during fight week has been appropriately given to the main event, tonight's FOX Sports 1 show offers so much more.

Donald Cerrone's Welterweight debut, the UFC's first Women's Flyweight fight, a plethora of prospects, and it's all free!

What more could you ask for?

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 89 fight card right here:

FOX Sports 1 Main Event:

170 lbs.: Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson

FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:

170 lbs.: Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10:30 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Steve Bosse vs. Sean O'Connell
155 lbs.: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Thibault Gouti
115 lbs.: Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood

FOX Sports 2 Prelims (8:30 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Jason Saggo vs. Leandro Silva
265 lbs.: Misha Cirkunov vs. Ion Cutelaba
170 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko vs. Tamdan McCrory
135 lbs.: Joe Soto vs. Chris Beal

UFC Fight Pass Prelims (6:30 p.m. ET):

185 lbs.: Elias Theodorou vs. Sam Alvey
115 lbs.: Randa Markos vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
170 lbs.: Colby Covington vs. Jonathan Meunier
125 lbs.: Ali Bagautinov vs. Geane Herrera

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 89 fight card TONIGHT, starting with the Fight Pass "Prelims" matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining undercard balance on FOX Sports 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

For more information on UFC Fight Night 89, including the full fight card, results, news, and more, click here.