Mike Malott made sure he had the last laugh against Joaquin Buckley at UFC Edmonton. The Canadian delivered a brutal second-round knockout in the main event at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy.
The fans witnessed a violent finish as their hometown hero put Buckley away at the 2:32 mark of Round 2 on Saturday night. It was the kind of highlight that instantly grabs attention, and Malott couldn’t have picked a better stage to deliver it.
There was plenty of tension heading into fight week, with Buckley taking an unusually cold approach to the matchup. He refused to shake Dana White’s hand during the face-offs, declined to speak to backstage interviewers, and even refused to touch gloves when the fight began.
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The opening round was relatively calm, with both fighters taking their time to find their range. They traded sharp kicks and hooks, but neither managed to take control for long. That changed dramatically in the second round.
Buckley came out swinging, marching forward with a flurry of punches. Malott responded by clinching him against the fence, potentially looking to slow him down and wear him out.
Once the action returned to the center of the Octagon, Malott unleashed the shot that changed everything. What initially looked like a body kick turned into a devastating knee to Buckley’s face. The impact sent Buckley’s mouthpiece flying and left him unconscious.
Buckley was throwing a punch at the same time, and his forward momentum carried him onto all fours as he fell. Malott followed up with a heavy punch, leaving his opponent face-down on the canvas and bringing the fight to a brutal end.
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The victory marked Malott’s fifth consecutive win, with three of those victories coming by finish. He most recently stopped Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC Winnipeg, and this latest performance could put him in the conversation for a major step up in competition.
Things are going in the opposite direction for Buckley, who has now suffered three straight defeats after previously losing to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady. After the loss to Malott, “New Mansa” will need to regroup before thinking about his next move.
Mike Malott Calls for a Top-10 Opponent After UFC Edmonton Win
Malott wasted little time making his ambitions clear after the knockout. During his post-fight interview with Paul Felder, the Canadian called for a matchup against a ranked contender, making it clear that he believes he belongs among the division’s best.
He said, “Guys, I might be soft-spoken, but I’m f*cking hard-hitting. I see a lot of dangerous guys in the top-10. Top-10 at the very least, maybe top-five.”
It’s a confident callout from Malott, and his performance against Buckley gives him a strong argument for facing tougher competition next.
With UFC 336 officially announced for Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on January 30, Malott could have another opportunity to fight in front of his Canadian fans. A matchup against a top contender on home soil would be an ideal next step for the rising welterweight, especially after delivering one of the night’s most memorable finishes in Edmonton.