UFC 209 could have been a classic. Heading into Friday morning, two titles were on the line and a host of insanely talented mixed martial artists were ready to bash each other’s brains out. Plus, one of the UFC’s best storylines was about to get a much-needed jolt.

The UFC is not scripted like the WWE, however, and a gigantic monkey wrench was thrown into the works when Khabib Nurmagomedov failed to appear at the weigh-in Friday morning. Nurmagomedov had “weight management issues” and was taken to the hospital on Thursday night. On Friday, the co-main event against Tony Ferguson was “canceled on the doctor’s recommendation,” according to a statement made by UFC.

It was a devastating moment because Nurmagomedov-Ferguson had everything. The pair of lightweight fighters are two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and are at the top of their games. Nurmagomedov is 24-0; Ferguson hasn’t lost in five years. They are legitimate threats to the UFC’s only superstar, lightweight champion Conor McGregor.

McGregor is currently on parental leave, which is why Nurmagomedov — who mocks the “chicken” McGregor whenever he gets the chance — and Ferguson were fighting for the interim title. The belt is secondary. Nurmagomedov-Ferguson was important because it could have forced McGregor back into the meritocracy that used to govern the UFC.

Now, with the fight canceled, McGregor will not have to defend his title and will have impunity to choose whatever fight he thinks will make him a fortune. Maybe he’ll take on Nate Diaz to complete their trilogy. Maybe he’ll take on the newly returned Georges St. Pierre, if he beats Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. Maybe he’ll actually box Floyd Mayweather.

Any of those three potential fights will draw eyeballs, headlines and huge money. And McGregor is interested in all three, according to his coach, who recently spoke with “Submission Radio.” None, however, will represent what made the UFC so popular in the first place.

Unlike boxing, the UFC used to force its best fighters to actually fight one another. Since being purchased by the super-agents at WME-IMG for $4 billion, the organization has been high on spectacle and low on quality. That’s why GSP got to skip the line and take on Bisping, though Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza are far more deserving of a title shot. It’s why UFC created the new women’s featherweight division just to appease Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. And it’s why 41-year-old Anderson Silva is rumored to be in the running for a title shot.

UFC 209 looked like it was going to be a mixture of the good old days plus a dose of McGregor drama. Now, it’s going to be an event for fight fans and fight fans only. Which isn’t a horrible thing. There are still a bunch of really credible matches on the card and Tyron Woodley will still defend his title against Stephen Thompson.

The pair of welterweights put on a fight-of- the-night performance at UFC 205, but were overshadowed by McGregor’s showstopping victory over Eddie Alvarez.

Saturday night they have the spotlight all to themselves.

Here is what each fighter needs to do to win:

Woodley’s is stronger, faster and more powerful than anyone who steps into the cage against him. The champion’s power come from his glutes and tree-trunk thighs. When he wants to, he unleashes brutal leg kicks that land with audible “thwacks.” When he wants to, he can spring forward for a takedown. And whenever he wants to, he can unleash a single punch that can put any opponent to sleep.

In their first fight, at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden, Woodley’s legs were neutralized by Thompson’s unique Kempo Karate style. Unlike 99 percent of MMA fighters whose stances are some combination of Muay Thai and traditional boxing, Thompson lines up perpendicular to his opponent and moves forward and backward with strangely deceptive speed. Despite bringing in specialist training partners, it took more than three rounds for Woodley to get a grasp on Thompson’s movement. When he finally did, Woodley connected with three right hands that had Thompson on the verge of unconsciousness. But the champion decided to go for a guillotine choke that the challenger somehow survived. The fight eventually went to the judge’s scorecards, which produced a perplexing majority draw.

Woodley will not make the same mistake twice. Now that he knows Thompson’s rhythm, Woodley will shoot for more takedowns than he did in the first fight, and should be able to get inside Thompson’s long reaching legs to land strikes. If all goes according to plan, he’ll get a knockout. But keep an eye on Woodley’s positioning inside the cage. He has a very bad habit of putting his back against the fence, which limits his movement and leaves him open to Thompson’s sniper punch-and-kick combinations.

Thompson is a “Karate Kid” Cobra Kai fighter come to life, except he’s not a jerk. While Woodley tried to fight anyone other than Thompson while also accusing the UFC of racism, the challenger quietly sat by. Whenever he was asked a question, he would basically say, “I’m here to fight.” That attitude, plus his flashy and unorthodox style, has made “Wonderboy” a fan favorite. If he can beat Woodley on Saturday night, he’ll have a shot at stardom.

For much of the first three rounds of their fight in November, Thompson’s stance and hips transfixed Woodley. The champion constantly seemed afraid to attack because of Thompson’s twitching midsection. The tiny movements acted like feints and Woodley instinctively reacted by pulling back, right into the range of Thompson’s shocking long legs. The karate fighter didn’t land any spectacular kicks, but it was enough to earn him points on the scorecards because it allowed him to dictate the pace, take the center of the Octagon and control Woodley’s movement.

In many ways, Thompson is an updated version of former middleweight champion Lyoto Machida. The difference between the two is Thompson is better at connecting with his punches and kicks, and he finishes his opponents in spectacular fashion far more often. In all likelihood, however, Thompson will not get the knockout against Woodley. The champion is far too dangerous for Thompson to risk going for the knockout. He’ll try and follow the game plan he utilized at UFC 205 and just try not to get caught by Woodley’s right hand.