Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler still on track, according to Dana White

BOSTON – Welterweight Matt Brown probably will get a top-10 opponent in his next fight, according to UFC President Dana White, but it doesn’t look like he’ll upset one matchup planned for the near future.

A previously discussed fight between Rory MacDonald (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (21-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is still planned.

“We like that fight,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) when asked if Brown’s performance might have put him in the mix. “I think so, yeah, (it’s happening).”

The UFC executive didn’t have a timeline for the bout, which was proposed after MacDonald’s and Lawler’s performances at this past month’s UFC on FOX 8 event. MacDonald outpointed Jake Ellenberger on the card while Lawler knocked out Bobby Voelker.

For now, Brown’s quick knockout of Mike Pyle, which happened Saturday on the FOX Sports 1-televised main card of UFC Fight Night 26 at Boston’s TD Garden, has “put him on the radar” for a top-10 slot, White said.

It’s about time: “The Immortal” has won six straight fights and stopped five of his opponents via TKO or knockout.

At the post-event press conference, Brown (18-11 MMA, 11-5 UFC) admitted that Pyle (25-9-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) had gotten the better of him when they used to train together in Las Vegas.

“Mike really is one of the best fighters in the world, he just doesn’t always put it together in the ring,” he said. “I just came in to whoop his ass. I knew it was going to be me or him. Hopefully it put me somewhere in a good position to get some big fights. I know in this sport you get what you earn not what you deserve, hopefully I earned something good here.”

There was no doubt that White was impressed, however.

“[Brown] came out tonight and made quick work of a guy a lot of people respect, a tough durable guy,” he said. “I think tonight’s fight put him in a position to possibly get a spot in the top-10 and fight one of the guys in the top-10.”

It is, however, too early to start thinking about Brown to face welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, whom he called out after concussing Pyle.

“You guys are going to be voting tomorrow,” said White, who was referring to the UFC’s official rankings, which are compiled through a media vote. “Don’t throw [St-Pierre vs. Brown] at me.”

So Brown will have to be satisfied with a $50,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus. And from the sound of it, he’s not sweating anything.

“I’ll fight whoever they want me to, man,” he said.

But he’s clear on his goal: “I’m only in this sport for one thing, and that’s to beat GSP’s ass.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Rory MacDonald)