Tag: Mike Malott

Mike Malott books UFC return after upset loss to Neil Magny

Mike Malott will look to rebound from his first UFC loss this summer.

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] will look to rebound from his first octagon loss.

Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) takes on Gilbert Urbina (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) July 13 at a UFC Fight Night event, which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location. Malott confirmed the news on Instagram after an initial report from Sportsnet.

Expectations were high for Canada’s Malott, who was fast tracked to a fight with ranked welterweight contender Neil Magny after just three UFC wins. He got off to a dominant start at UFC 297 in January, but things took a bad turn in the final frame when he was beaten down and finished in a third-round TKO loss.

Malott was met with heavy criticism after gassing out in his home country, but the 32-year-old rising prospect remained positive. Prior to getting stopped by Magny, Malott finished his first three UFC opponents, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in two of them.

Urbina, a Season 29 alum of “The Ultimate Fighter,” is 1-2 in the UFC. He was submitted by Bryan Battle in his debut but bounced back with a TKO of Orion Cosce last May. In his most recent appearance, he was knocked out by Charles Radtke in February.

With the addition, the July 13 lineup includes:

  • Mariya Agapova vs. Luana Santos
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
  • Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Urbina

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for January: DWCS rematch thrills at UFC 297 in Toronto

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from January 2024.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from January 2024: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for January.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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Nominees

Mike Malott reacts to UFC 297 loss to Neil Magny: ‘I’m going to have to make some improvements’

Mike Malott vows to come back stronger after UFC 297.

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] vows to come back stronger after UFC 297.

After being in firm control throughout the fight, Canada’s Malott was finished by Neil Magny in Saturday’s main card at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The stoppage came at 4:45 of Round 3 where Malott appeared exhausted and defenseless while Magny rained down big ground and pound.

A disappointed Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) issued a statement on his loss, apologizing to his home fans.

“Hey guys. I’m all right,” Malott said on his social media (h/t MMA Mania). “I tried my best. I’m really sorry. I hope I’m going to make you guys proud. I’m a little disappointed, but I felt really good this camp. No excuses, man, I felt really good. I felt good in the fight. I just wasn’t good enough tonight.

“I’m going to have to make some improvements, but I’m so, so touched by all the support I’ve gotten by all the fans. It really means a lot to me. I love you guys. I want to do my country proud. Thank you to my friends and family, my team, sponsors and everybody who’s supported me. I’ll be back. I’ll make you guys proud again. Thank you.”

Canadian male fighters went 0-6 on the night. Prior to getting stopped by Magny, Malott had finished his first three UFC opponents, earning two Performances of the Night bonuses.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Neil Magny thinks UFC 297 comeback win over Mike Malott proved he’s not done

Neil Magny reacts to his incredible comeback TKO win at Saturday’s UFC 297.

TORONTO – [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]’s return to the octagon, this past Saturday, seemed to many like the inevitable course most veterans go through in MMA.

The 36-year-old veteran was matchup against a younger [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag]. Their fight took place on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 297, and it was in Malott’s home country of Canada. It seemed like a set-up opportunity for Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to shine and take his career to the next level.

And that’s what it looked like for the first 12 minutes of the 15-minute. Malott dominated Magny (28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC) and was en route to a clear win. However, in the final minutes, Magny stepped on the gas and overwhelmed Malott to get an incredible comeback TKO win.

“Tonight was a great win, a great victory,” Magny told the media backstage at UFC 297. “I’m not completely satisfied with what I accomplished just yet. I still have more hunger in me, I still have more in the tank to accomplish more. I’m definitely content with tonight’s victory, but I have a lot more that I’m capable of and that I’m able to show. On Monday, I’m right back to the drawing board and continue to move forward.”

Magny was coming off a dominant loss to highly touted undefeated contender Ian Garry in August. Although that wasn’t his night, Magny thinks the win over Malott proved he’s game to compete with anyone in the UFC’s welterweight division.

“At the end of the day, I’ve beat the who’s-who in MMA, but the sport of MMA is very unforgiving,” Magny said. “It’s more so ‘what have you done for me lately?’ Sure, I beat the Carlos Condits, the Johny Hendricks, the Robbie Lawlers of the sport – but the sport of MMA has a very short memory.

“So to go out there and get a finish on a young up-and-coming guy who was undefeated in the UFC prior to tonight, I feel like it was a great statement. I feel like I’m still able to hang with the best of them – young guys, old guys, whoever. I feel like I went out there and did what I was supposed to do.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

UFC 297 post-event facts: Dricus Du Plessis, Raquel Pennington make history in title wins

The best facts to come out of UFC 297, which saw two new champions crowned with historic achievements attached to both new reigns.

The UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year is likely to prove to be far from the most memorable, but UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto did prove significant with two new champions crowned.

In the main event, [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision in the Fight of the Night to claim the middleweight championship. In the co-headliner, [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) outlasted [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) for a unanimous decision for the vacant women’s bantamweight title.

For more on the numbers behind the title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts for UFC 297.

UFC 297 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean Strickland’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 297 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $285,500.

TORONTO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 297 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $285,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 297 took place at Scotiabank Arena in Canada. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 297 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ramon Taveras[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Sam Patterson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yohan Lainesse[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jimmy Flick[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $445,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,152,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

UFC 297 results: Neil Magny TKOs Mike Malott for ridiculous buzzer-beating comeback

After 10-plus minutes of utter domination at UFC 297, Neil Magny pulled off an insane comeback to TKO red-hot prospect Mike Malott.

All was going well for [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] at UFC 297 – until it wasn’t.

After a dominant opening two rounds, Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was finished with ground-and-pound strikes by opponent [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] 28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC) in what will likely be a Comeback of the Year candidate at the end of 2024. The stoppage came at 4:45 of Round 3.

The welterweight bout took place on the UFC 297 main card Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Out to “Fat Lip” by Sum 41 came Malott, viewed by many as the next major torch-bearing fighter for Canada. His entrance was met by a loud ovation, much the opposite of his opponent Magny, who was met with “F*ck Neil Magny” chants early in Round 1.

Malott continued the success of Magny’s previous opponent Ian Garry with effective kicks that chewed up the lead leg of Magny. After one kick in particular, Magny did a little pogo hop, which was audibly picked up on by the crowd.

Magny came out more aggressive in Round 2 and pressed Malott with a combination. The move backfired as the two fighters bumped into the fence. The recoil gave Malott the momentum he needed to seamlessly transition into a takedown. Magny rose to his feet after a short period on the ground.

Malott dragged him back down again shortly thereafter and hopped into mound. Just before the horn, Malott rained down big ground-and-pound.

In the final round, Malott went back to the well of success: the grappling department – but there was a plot twist.

Magny swept Malott and ended up on top. Big punches landed on Malott, who tried to grab hold of a leg for a submission. Magny defended and went back on the offensive. Big punch after big punch landed. Eventually, Malott turned to his side.

Referee Kevin MacDonald gave Malott plenty of opportunity to show him something, but the something never came. The fight was waived off.

Magny moves to 2-1 in his most recent three and bounces back from a loss to Ian Garry in August. A member of the UFC roster since 2013, Magny has alternated wins and losses over the span of his most recent seven outings.

The loss was Malott’s first in the UFC, but second as a professional. Malott didn’t lose in his previous seven outings, dating back to a 2014 unanimous decision defeat to Hakeem Dawodu under the WSOF banner.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 297 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Neil Magny has no issue facing another prospect in Mike Malott at UFC 297: ‘It’s something I’m used to at this point’

Neil Magny says he’s used to fighting the young prospects at this point in his UFC career.

TORONTO – It feels like out of all veteran fighters, [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] gets matched up with more young, up-and-coming prospects than anyone.

The 36-year-old welterweight returns to the octagon this Saturday to take on undefeated prospect [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 297. Magny (28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC) is aware of this recurring position, but he has no issue fighting Malott (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). He sees it as routine and part of the fight game.

“It’s definitely not the plan to find myself in this position over and over again,” Magny said at Wednesday’s UFC 297 media day. “The goal is definitely to move forward that I keep advancing and keep doing my thing, but that stuff happens. It’s the way this port plays out. If you lose a ranked fight, you fall back in the rankings and you kind of have to win yourself back into position to call someone above and keep climbing and moving forward.

“But yeah, here we are again fighting an undefeated up-and-comer in the UFC. It’s something I’m used to at this point. I don’t think I enjoy that pressure, but I think I thrive in that kind of pressure, especially on this fight. I feel like there’s a lot on the line. It’s a main card fight in Canada fighting a Canadian guy in his home turf. The bar is definitely set up pretty high for me to go out there and get it done.”

Although expectations are high for Malott on home soil, Magny argues that he has the same level of pressure, if not more, given his age and that he’s coming off a loss to Ian Garry in August.

“If you’re the older guy fighting the up-and-coming guy, it’s like kind of someone kind of replacing your throne, so to speak,” Magny explained. “In any other ecosystem you look at, when there’s a young challenger coming in to challenge the vet’s position, the vet’s position is in question at that point. I have to go out there and make a statement like, ‘Nope, I’m not going away anytime soon.'”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Mike Malott before UFC 297: Neil Magny offers ‘the most juice for the squeeze’ at welterweight

Mike Malott is not focused on Neil Magny’s records going into UFC 297, but rather the number next to his name in the welterweight rankings.

TORONTO – [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] is fully aware of the opportunity in front of him against Neil Magny at UFC 297.

In his his fourth octagon appearance, Malott (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) gets paired up with the man who holds the UFC welterweight record for most fights and wins in Neil Magny (28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC). The matchup is part of the main card, which takes place at Scotiabank Arena and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+

A victory would officially put Malott on the map in the weight class, and that’s his goal. He’s not worried about the career achievements of his upcoming opponent, but rather what Magny, who is No. 13 in the latest UFC rankings, represents in terms of a name on his resume moving forward.

“I think it’s the most juice for the squeeze in the division,” Malott told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 297 media day. “I’m getting the more well-known guy for the position I’m in. … I see No. 13. That’s what I see. I see an opportunity to beat this guy, stop this guy and get a number beside my name. And once I get that number beside my name, I’m on the ladder, and I can start my climb.”

Malott, 32, said it’s been a longtime dream to fight in Toronto. He said this venue is one he’s aspired to compete in since he was a teenager and committed himself to a career in MMA.

He will be part of a big Canadian contingent at UFC 297. Nine fighters from the country are scheduled for the first event in the city since December 2018, with Malott being in the most significant contest of all.

The UFC’s most recent trip to Canada, UFC 289 in June, saw Canadian fighters pull a clean sweep of 5-0. And if Malott has anything to do with it, he thinks there’s a good chance of another flawless night.

“We put on a great performance last time,” Malott said. “If we did it before, we can do it again.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Video: ‘UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis’ media day interviews

Before UFC 297 on Saturday, the main card and prelim fighters are scheduled to speak to reporters at media day.

TORONTO – UFC 297 takes place Saturday at Scotiabank Arena with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each fighter’s session.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.