MONTREAL – Add Rory MacDonald to the list of those who don’t consider Tyron Woodley the most deserving contender to challenge for Robbie Lawler’s UFC welterweight title at UFC 201.

Matt Brown recently said “most would agree” Woodley (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) shouldn’t be Lawler’s (27-10 MMA, 12-4 UFC) next 170-pound challenger at UFC 201, which takes place July 30 at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

MacDonald (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, who fights No. 5-ranked Stephen Thompson (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in a crucial welterweight bout in the main event of UFC Fight Night 89 next week, agrees with Brown’s sentiment, he said. Instead, he views No. 7-ranked Demian Maia (23-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) as the most worthy contender and said he was thrown off guard when the promotion opted to go with Woodley.

“I thought they were going to give it to Demian Maia,” MacDonald told MMAjunkie. “I was a bit surprised that Woodley got it. But the champ needs to stay busy, wants to fight, and Woodley was patiently waiting. He was ready. It’s how it plays out. Sometimes it’s not always the rightful guy gets the shot. You look at boxing, they have like tune-up fights in between their title fights. They’re not always fighting the No. 1 guy year around.

“It’s a little different in our sport. Everyone thinks it always has to be the next guy, because it’s the next top guy. Woodley’s a good challenge. I’m not saying it’s not going to be a good fight, I just would have expected Demian to be the next guy because of his success.”

Although MacDonald already beat No. 3-ranked Woodley by unanimous decision at UFC 174 in June 2014 and Maia at UFC 170 in February 2014, respectively, he knew he wouldn’t get a title fight before one or both of them. That’s mainly because he just had a shot at Lawler’s belt less than a year ago.

MacDonald, 26, suffered a fifth-round TKO loss to Lawler in 2015’s “Fight of the Year” at UFC 189 in July. He’s taken a lengthy break to recover from the damage sustained in that bout, but is ready to prove he deserves another crack at the gold against Thompson at UFC Fight Night 89, which takes place June 18 at The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The event airs on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

The showdown with “Wonderboy” is a significant moment in MacDonald’s career for a number of reasons. He’s in the main event position in his native Canada, is fighting a dangerous opponent for title positioning in the welterweight division, and perhaps most importantly of all, is fighting out the final bout on his current UFC contract.

All those aspects combine for a high-pressure situation, but MacDonald said he embraces everything that’s going on. He wants to fight for the UFC belt again (assuming he re-signs with the promotion), and if he can add Thompson’s name to his resume alongside the likes of Woodley, Maia and more, he said it would be a “statement” that he should fight the winner of UFC 201’s main event between Lawler and Woodley.

“I’ve beat everybody,” MacDonald said. “If I put away ‘Wonderboy’ like I think I am, it’s going to be no question that everyone’s going to want to see me in that title fight because I feel like I’m going to take that title and hold it for a long time.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 89, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.