Mike Malott left his fellow fighters in awe after knocking out Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Edmonton main event.
All the pressure was on Malott to deliver in the main event as he continued his quest to become the UFC’s first Canadian champion since Georges St-Pierre and he rose to the occasion, blasting Buckley with a highlight-reel knee to end their fight in the second round. This is Malott’s fifth straight win and he continues to build his case for a shot at gold following a win over one-time title challenger Gilbert Burns this past April.
The MMA community was wowed by Malott’s win, with fighters like Burns, Tatiana Suarez, Arnold Allen, and Kenny Florian reacting in amazement to the brutal knockout. However, UFC featherweight competitor Kai Kamaka added a sobering comment on Twitter, writing “Praying for Buckley,” in reaction to Buckley’s scary collapse to the canvas.
See more pros reactions below.
We are sick for loving this sport. Praying for Buckley
— Kai Kamaka III (@kaiboikamaka) October 18, 2026
Malott vs JDM in Toronto next. #UFCEdmonton
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) October 18, 2026
Omg 😳 #UFCEdmonton
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) October 18, 2026
Beauty of a finish
— Arnold billy allen (@Arnoldbfa) October 18, 2026
Wow. His mouthpiece flew about 20 feet. #UFCEdmonton
— Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) October 18, 2026
SHEEEEEESH. That was nasty 😮💨#UFCEdmonton
— Jeff Molina (@jmolina_125) October 18, 2026
Wow what a finish by @Michael_Malott 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 statement #UFCEdmonton
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) October 18, 2026
WoW 🇨🇦 #UFCEdmonton
— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita) October 18, 2026
Shin to chin to tuck you in. Malott with a NASTY KO in round 2. 😮
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) October 18, 2026
Brutal
— Mairon "The Legend" Santos (@Maironsantoss) October 18, 2026