Malott TKOs Burns in third round, extends win streak to four

Mike Malott stopped Gilbert Burns in the third round via technical knockout at UFC Winnipeg on April 19, extending his winning streak to four consecutive fights and signaling his arrival as a serious welterweight contender.

Malott, known as "Proper," improves to 14-2-1 and continues to build one of the more compelling runs in the 170-pound division. The 34-year-old Canadian, who trains out of Team Alpha Male, stands six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach and has shown consistent pressure throughout his recent run. He lands 3.93 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, and his ability to mix in nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes makes him a multidimensional threat. The win is expected to push him into the welterweight rankings in the near future.

Burns, the Brazilian veteran nicknamed "Durinho," falls to 22-10 and has now lost five straight. The 39-year-old, who had previously held a ranking of 13th in the welterweight division, announced his retirement following the defeat. Fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, Burns came in at five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach and had long been regarded as one of the more dangerous grapplers in the division, averaging 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes over his career. Saturday night, however, he was overwhelmed by Malott's output and could not survive into the championship rounds.

Why it matters

• Malott's four-fight streak puts him in position to crack the official welterweight rankings for the first time
• Burns's retirement, if confirmed, closes the chapter on a career that once included a UFC title shot
• The stylistic matchup favored Malott's volume striking, as his 3.93 significant strikes per minute outpaced Burns's 3.15
• The welterweight division loses an experienced gatekeeper, opening space for emerging contenders like Malott