Mike Malott finished Joaquin Buckley with a second-round knockout in the UFC Edmonton main event, landing a vicious knee to the face that sent Buckley face-first to the mat. The finish came after a competitive opening round and gave Malott his fifth straight win. Buckley has now lost three in a row and suffered his first stoppage loss in nearly four years, since a second-round TKO against Chris Curtis at UFC 282 in December 2022. Buckley later watched the knockout back, admitting he had never been out like that before.
Mike Malott stopped Joaquin Buckley in the second round of the UFC Edmonton main event, ending the fight with a knee to the face that dropped Buckley face-first to the canvas. The finish followed a competitive opening round and extended Malott's winning streak to five fights.
The result also marks a rough turn for Buckley, who has now lost three straight and was stopped for the first time in nearly four years. His last stoppage defeat was a second-round TKO against Chris Curtis at UFC 282 in December 2022. Buckley later watched the knockout back and admitted he had never been out like that before.
Mike Malott
Malott, a 34-year-old Canadian fighting out of Team Alpha Male, now owns a 15-2-1 record at welterweight, where he is ranked 13th. The orthodox fighter stands six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach, and he brings a well-rounded profile: 4.02 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy, plus 1.63 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Headlining in front of a home crowd, he turned that mix into the most decisive win of his streak.
Joaquin Buckley
Buckley, 32, enters the post-fight picture at 21-9-0 and ranks 10th at welterweight. The American southpaw, who trains with Murcielago MMA and goes by "New Mansa," is five-foot-ten with a 76-inch reach. He lands 3.62 significant strikes per minute at 36 percent accuracy and averages 1.43 takedowns per 15 minutes. Three consecutive losses now cloud a résumé that long made him a dangerous name in the division.
Why it matters
- Malott's fifth straight win, coming over a fighter ranked three spots above him, strengthens his case for a move up the welterweight rankings.
- Buckley's three-fight skid, capped by a clean knockout loss, leaves his place in the top 10 under pressure.
- The finish, a knee that ended the night abruptly after a close first round, is likely to stand out as one of the more striking knockouts in the division this year.
