The UFC was north of the border for UFC Edmonton on Saturday. In the main event, welterweight contenders threw down as Mike Malott took on Joaquin Buckley.
Malott entered the fight on a four-fight winning streak and was coming off a TKO win over Gilbert Burns. Buckley, meanwhile, had lost back-to-back fights to Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman.
Ultimately, it was Malott who won by second-round KO as he landed a vicious knee that knocked Buckley out. Following UFC Edmonton, here is what I think should be next for the welterweight contenders.
Mike Malott
Mike Malott made a statement at UFC Edmonton. The Canadian had a lackluster first round; he did start off a bit slow as he didn’t throw much, but neither did Buckley. In the second round, Malott started to fight much better as he mixed in his grappling and was more active on the feet, which ultimately led to the KO.
With the win, Malott is a legit title contender at UFC Edmonton. There is a rumor that Islam Makhachev will face Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in January, and Malott could turn around and fight on that card. If he does, a fight against former champion Jack Della Maddalena makes a lot of sense. Della Maddalena needs a step-down in the rankings, as whoever wins should get a No. 1 contender fight or title shot, while the loser becomes a bit of a gatekeeper.
Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin Buckley was looking to end his two-fight losing streak at UFC Edmonton against Malott. Buckley entered the fight with plenty of confidence, but he got caught by a knee, which knocked him out.
With the loss, Buckley is back to the drawing board and will get a step-down in competition next time out. He can’t afford to lose four in a row, so the next fight is a must-win for him. A logical next fight is to face Neil Magny, who’s the ultimate gatekeeper at welterweight. If Buckley can’t win, he isn’t a ranked welterweight, while for Magny, it’s a chance to move up in the rankings.
What do you think should be next for Mike Malott and Joaquin Buckley after UFC Edmonton?
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