Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott completed their final face-off before their main event bout at UFC Winnipeg. The post highlights the pre-fight ritual that is standard for UFC events, showing both fighters engaging in the traditional staredown. This welterweight matchup serves as the headliner for the Winnipeg card. The face-off marks the final promotional obligation before the fighters enter the octagon.
Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott completed their pre-fight face-off ahead of their welterweight main event at UFC Winnipeg, fulfilling the final promotional obligation before the two meet inside the octagon.
Burns, known as "Durinho," enters the fight at 39 years old representing Brazil and training out of Kill Cliff FC. The veteran holds a 22-10-0 professional record and sits at number 13 in the welterweight rankings. Standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach, Burns averages 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, and he remains a credible grappling threat, averaging 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Malott, nicknamed "Proper," is a 34-year-old Canadian fighting out of Team Alpha Male. He carries a 14-2-1 record into the headliner and holds a size advantage, standing six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach. Malott produces the higher striking volume of the two, landing 3.93 significant strikes per minute also at 48 percent accuracy, and he averages 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, suggesting he looks for finishing opportunities on the mat as well.
Why it matters
- Burns is a ranked welterweight contender at 13, giving Malott a chance to earn a significant divisional result on home soil in Winnipeg
- Both fighters share identical striking accuracy at 48 percent, setting up a close technical comparison on the feet
- Burns holds the takedown volume edge while Malott attempts more submissions, pointing to a potential battle over where the fight takes place
- A win for either man carries clear implications for movement within the welterweight top 15
