Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott completed their final faceoff ahead of their main event fight at UFC Winnipeg. The welterweights stared each other down as part of the pre-fight media obligations before their scheduled bout. The post includes video of the faceoff but provides no additional details about any exchanges between the fighters or the atmosphere of the event. Burns and Malott will compete in the main event of the UFC Winnipeg card. This is a duplicate story of the earlier faceoff report.
Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott stood across from each other one final time Friday as UFC Winnipeg's main event draws near, completing their pre-fight faceoff ahead of what promises to be a compelling welterweight clash.
Burns, known as "Durinho," enters the contest ranked thirteenth in the welterweight division and carries a professional record of 22 wins and 10 losses. The 39-year-old Brazilian trains out of Kill Cliff FC and brings a well-rounded game to the cage, averaging 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also threatening with 2.12 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. Standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach, the orthodox fighter remains a dangerous presence at this level despite sitting outside the top ten.
Malott, nicknamed "Proper," fights out of Canada and will have the crowd behind him on home soil in Winnipeg. The 34-year-old Team Alpha Male representative holds a record of 14 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, and has shown sharp output on the feet, landing 3.93 significant strikes per minute at the same 48 percent accuracy as his opponent. At six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach, he holds a size advantage over Burns and also mixes in submission attempts at a rate of 0.8 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Burns is ranked thirteenth at welterweight, meaning a loss could push him further from title contention while a Malott win would vault the Canadian up the divisional ladder
- Malott's higher striking volume against Burns's takedown threat sets up a genuine stylistic contrast between the two orthodox fighters
- Fighting in front of a Canadian crowd gives Malott a rare home-country main event platform that could amplify the stakes considerably
