Welterweight contender Mike Malott secured a dramatic second-round knockout against Joaquin Buckley during the UFC Edmonton main event at Rogers Place on Saturday night, ending the bout with a perfectly timed knee and a follow-up punch.
Fighting in front of a hometown crowd in Canada, Malott halted Buckley at 2:32 of the second round after absorbing early pressure in the opening frame. The finish unfolded when Buckley lunged forward for an attack, walking directly into Malott’s knee. The impact knocked Buckley’s mouthpiece free and sent him sprawling to the canvas, where a single follow-up punch forced referee Marc Goddard to intervene.
Mike Malott Secures Fifth Straight Victory With Knockout Over Joaquin Buckley
Malott’s victory extends his winning streak to five fights and positions him for a potential step up to the division’s elite. Coming into the matchup, Malott held the No. 13 spot in the Meta welterweight rankings, while Buckley stood at No. 10. Following the win, Malott expressed aspirations for a top-tier opponent in his next outing.
Joaquin Buckley reacts after his KO loss to Mike Malott“There was a lot of expectation for me to go and knock Malott out. People enjoyed the show, at the end of the day I brought more eyes to the game. Regardless of what people say I’ll just get back to work” pic.twitter.com/THMrzWEQwj
I asked my coaches, ‘That happened for real, right? I’m not about to wake up and it’s fight morning and I just dreamed that? This is real?’
Mike Malott
The loss marks Buckley’s defeat against Mike Malott, dropping his record to 21-9.
Jasmine Jasudavicius Sweeps Erin Blanchfield in Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event
In the co-main event, underdog Jasmine Jasudavicius disrupted expectations by defeating Erin Blanchfield via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Jasudavicius, driven by a dominant ground game and superior grappling exchanges.
Jasudavicius moves to a record of 16-4, capturing her seventh win in her last eight appearances. Blanchfield, a 27-year-old, suffers only the second loss of her UFC career, bringing her record to 14-3.
Full Event Results and Preliminary Action
The card also featured notable finishes across the preliminary and main bouts. Cristian Perez secured a knockout via punches at :27 of the first round, while Marc-Andre Barriault earned a victory in the middleweight division via TKO (elbows) at 4:28 of the first round.
Mixed Martial Arts Community Reacts to Rogers Place Finish
The decisive blow drew immediate reactions from fighters across the organization. While athletes such as Gilbert Burns, Tatiana Suarez, Arnold Allen, and Kenny Florian expressed amazement at the highlight-reel finish, featherweight competitor Kai Kamaka shared a more sobering assessment regarding the impact, writing online that he was praying for Buckley following the collapse.