Mike Malott Ready for Top-Ranked Matchups After Joaquin Buckley KO

Welterweight division, beware. You have a new fighter to worry about in the top 10 of the rankings, and his name is Mike Malott.

It has taken Malott 15 years of a journey in the world of mixed martial arts, but he’s now solidified himself as a truly noteworthy name in the UFC. And he may have scored the biggest moment of his career in the main event of UFC Edmonton on October 17.

In front of a native Canadian crowd, Malott landed a Knockout of the Year candidate when he nailed Joaquin Buckley with a brutal knee to drop him out cold in the middle of the Octagon.

Attention had been drawn to the UFC Edmonton headliner as a tale of two fighters. Malott had won 10 of his last 11, along with a 7-1 record. He entered this fight off a finish of Gilbert Burns, who retired following the fight. While it wasn’t the Gilbert Burns of five years ago or so, it was impressive that Malott was able to have the kind of performance he did against a former UFC welterweight title challenger.

Buckley, meanwhile, drew eyes on social media for his behavior during the UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-ins. He appeared laser-focused, ignoring a handshake attempt from UFC CEO and President Dana White, saying just a few words when interviewed on stage, and then saying none at all when interviewed backstage.

Buckley entered UFC Edmonton off back-to-back losses against Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady, needing the win over Malott to maintain status as a top-10 fighter at 170.

And Buckley knew he needed to establish control against an all-around rising fighter like Malott, As such, he took to the center to start off the action in the fight, while Malott circled around on the outside, trying to keep distance and judge his range. While the first round was fairly quiet, Buckley seemed to be the one in control, landing the right hook on Malott and giving him an early taste of his power.

Buckley hoped for a similar outcome in round two, but we instead got a battle for clinching and grappling control against the fence. The two fought technically, as they looked to land the one big shot that could alter the fight’s momentum.

But when Malott found the opening, it didn’t just alter the momentum; it ended the fight.

Buckley came in to deliver another big punch, and Malott threw a kick. The kick was not what connected; however, it was the knee – one perfectly placed on the side of Buckley’s face, crumbling him to the mat, completely knocked out to the point you could perfectly put the Grand Theft Auto “wasted” template on him.

Now with Malott’s victory here, one has to wonder what potential matchups could await him next. He could potentially fight Belal Muhammad or Jack Della Maddalena to try and score his first victory over a former world champion. But both men have been on losing skids. If he wants to fight someone with some actual momentum behind him, Uros Medic could be an interesting candidate, as well as either Brady or Gabriel Bonfim (those two are scheduled to meet in a few weeks).

Whatever comes next, Malott’s next opportunity should come with fighting another big name that can beef up his resume to yet another level.