Mike Malott Wins UFC Edmonton Main Event by Knockout

Mike Malott finished the biggest fight of his career in front of a Canadian crowd. The welterweight, who has deep roots in the Burlington and Waterdown area, knocked out Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place in Edmonton on October 17.

The finish landed at 2:32 of the second round, a step-in knee that dropped Buckley where he stood. Buckley came into the bout ranked No. 10 in the UFC's welterweight division, three spots ahead of Malott at No. 13, and Malott had said beforehand that a win should put him comfortably inside the top 10.

The UFC gave him a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the knockout and called the win the biggest of his career. It was his fifth victory in a row. Malott earned his UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series in 2021 and made his debut the following year.

The card around him made some history too. The UFC said the Edmonton event produced 12 finishes, tying the modern record, in front of 16,903 fans and a reported $2.2 million gate.

One note on the hometown billing: Malott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and the UFC currently lists him as fighting out of Fonthill, Ontario, though it promoted him into the main event as a Waterdown native. He has carried the Burlington association through his career either way, and knocking out a top 10 opponent in a main event on Canadian soil puts a title shot closer than it has ever been.