The Mike Malott mission remains on track.
Whether you believe Malott is The Next Great Canadian Hope or not, you have to credit the matchmakers with giving him every opportunity to prove he is. In April, he added one-time welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns to his hit list; tonight, he takes on another ranked opponent in Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Edmonton main event.
The deck isn’t exactly stacked in Malott’s favor as Buckley was a rising contender himself not too long ago, but all Malott has asked for is his chance to move up the contender line and Buckley is the next man up. A few weeks shy of 35, Malott can’t afford any setbacks as a disappointing performance will put a hard cap on whatever potential he has left.
Buckley has never lost three straight fights, so he has desperation on his side (for lack of a better term, I’m not sure someone with Buckley’s confidence ever feels truly desperate). The point is, he knows his back is to the wall and in a worst-case scenario, like Burns, losing to Malott could induce an existential crisis. Just win, Buck.
In the co-main event, Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius battle for a flyweight title shot… or do they? Presumably, Valentina Shevchenko gets the chance to regain the belt she never lost in the cage whenever she’s ready to return, but if she takes too long, the door might be open for either Blanchfield or Jasudavicius to challenge Natalia Silva. There’s also the possibility one of the co-headliners puts on such a convincing performance, they can simply wait for the Silva-Shevchenko winner.
If that turns out to be Jasudavicius, maybe she’s the Canadian championship hopeful we should be focusing on.
What: UFC Edmonton
Where: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
When: Saturday, Oct. 17. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by a six-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET also on Paramount+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Joaquin Buckley (14) vs. Mike Malott
I know what we’re all thinking: Remember when Mike Malott completely flamed out against Neil Magny?
That was an eye-opening loss for Malott and I genuinely believe he learned a ton from that result. Isn’t that what fighters like Magny are for? To expose one’s weaknesses in the hopes that they can be fixed? So far, so good for Malott, who has won four straight since that disappointing night in Toronto.
Malott knows how to win ugly and in a fight with Joaquin Buckley that could potentially go the full 25 minutes, he might have to. He knows his way around a takedown and his best bet is to do a passable impression of Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman, which is easier said than done. He’s a threat in the standup as well, but that’s not a game he’ll want to play for too long given Buckley’s history of highlights.
Even if Malott goes full wrestler, it’s not as if Buckley is completely useless against wrestlers. He’s won a number of fights where he’s managed to sprawl and brawl his way to victory and if Malott’s gas tank is drained early by a few failed attempts, he’ll be a sitting duck for Buckley in the championship rounds.
So back to the whole Magny thing. Malott has gone the distance twice since then, and almost a third time against Gilbert Burns. But the question remains whether he can go a hard five rounds. We find out Saturday and sorry to “The Maple Leaf Militia,” you might not like the answer.
Pick: Buckley
Erin Blanchfield (5, P4P-9) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (9, P4P-19)
I fully expect one of these fighters to make a statement that allows them to sit and wait for a title shot, and that fighter is Erin Blanchfield.
We’ve seen “Cold Blooded” grow up in the cage, from her days as a blue-chip prospect in Invicta FC to her undeniably successful UFC run that has seen her lose just once. Her powerful grappling gets all the attention, but she’s improved her striking to the point that she could win a scrap with Jasmine Jasudavicius if it goes that way.
You can be sure Jasudavicius won’t hesitate to push the action, which only makes me more confident that this matchup brings out the best in Blanchfield. Jasudavicius won’t settle for being neutralized, she’ll fight to the bitter end, and that means she will force Blanchfield to match her aggression. It also means Blanchfield should find openings to go for the kill.
Blanchfield sets the tone early with some well-timed takedowns and pulls away in Round 2, becoming the first woman to submit Jasudavicius.
Pick: Blanchfield
Kyle Nelson vs. Cristian Perez
Upset alert!
I’ve written ad nauseam about how Kyle Nelson is a classic spoiler, but only because it’s true. He doesn’t always pull off the upset, but there was a stretch there where he went 3-0-1 as an underdog with three of those wins coming at +200 or worse. Obviously, never bet on MMA… but if you must, Nelson is always a fun option, especially against a fighter making their UFC debut.
Perez is slick on the feet, with the kind of agility and flexibility that allows him to wrap a leg around an opponent’s head in the blink of an eye. He loves to come forward with kicks and combinations, with defense a secondary concern. He’s also not afraid to get into a gnarly fight, though that’s where Nelson could turn this fight on its head. Experience can be an excellent counter to raw talent.
Nelson’s chin can get cracked, so there’s a real chance Perez dusts him before the halfway point of Round 1. But if he doesn’t, Nelson can take him into the kinds of deep waters many a UFC first-timer has drowned in. I’m taking “The Monster” by decision.
Pick: Nelson
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Kyle Daukaus
Chef’s kiss to this fine piece of matchmaking.
Kyle Daukaus is coming off of the biggest opportunity of his career, and while his UFC White House experience ended in under a round, at least this grinder got his well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Now he can go back to doing what he does best: taking on other middleweighty middleweights.
Once upon a time, Marc-Andre Barriault was a promising prospect coming out of Canada’s famed TKO MMA promotion. His contender hopes never quite materialized, but he’s found his niche as a hard-hitting veteran that doesn’t know when to quit. He’s won three straight performance bonuses and could easily snag another dancing with Daukaus.
Barriault’s grappling defense will be tested and I don’t see him having much of an answer for Daukaus, despite some decent submission defense. My expectation is Daukaus will throw hands early, then get back to his bread and butter and cap off the opening round by choking Barriault out.
Pick: Daukaus
Louis Jourdain vs. Timmy Cuamba
Louis Jourdain doesn’t have quite the arsenal of his brother Charles, but he’s no less dangerous on the ground and on the feet. He fights with a certain calmness, which allows him to capitalize on mistakes while staying defensively sound. That latter trait is a good one to have for a UFC debutant, most of whom know how to chase finishes but typically at the expense of their well-being.
Timmy Cuamba is a notch above the kind of competition Jourdain faced on the Canadian regional scene, but he does fall in the defensively suspect category. And if Jourdain decides to turn this into a grappling contest, that’s even worse. Cuamba’s best chance here is to brawl, though even then, Jourdain likely has the advantage.
I’m expecting an entertaining back-and-forth fight, with Jourdain taking the decision.
Pick: Jourdain
Mandel Nallo vs. Nate Landwehr
Love that we’re getting Mandel Nallo vs. Nate Landwehr. A little sad that we might have already seen the best these warriors have to offer.
On the other hand, we always approve of age-appropriate matchmaking, especially when it involves two dudes known for proper punch-outs and standup wars. Nallo never goes to the cards and Landwehr always goes in there throwing hammers, so this is going to be awesome for as long as it lasts.
It pains me to say it, but Landwehr’s once sturdy chin is no more, and while I’m sure he’ll be as fearless as ever going toe-to-toe with Nallo, that’s just not going to end well for him. Nallo keeps his 100 percent finish rate intact with another highlight-reel knockout.
Pick: Nallo
Preliminaries
Jhonata Diniz def. Tanner Boser
Nick Galanti def. Julien Leblanc
Javad Mahjoub def. Joel Faglier
Katlyn Cerminara def. Mackenzie Stiller
Steven Koslow def. Chad Anheliger
Melissa Croden def. Chelsea Chandler
Cody Chovancek def. SuYoung You