Welterweights are headed to the “Gateway to the North.”
No. 9-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Joaquin Buckley will collide with Canada’s own Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Edmonton, which goes down Sat., Oct. 17, 2026, inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Sportsnet was first to report the news.
Buckley (21-8) is riding the second two-fight losing streak of his UFC career and badly needs to get back in the win column.
“New Mansa” is coming off an embarrassing one-sided loss to Sean Brady at UFC 328, where he was shut down from start to finish. Prior to that, Buckley dropped another lopsided fight to former Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
After looking like one of the hottest names in the division, he now finds himself defending his Top 10 ranking against a surging contender in hostile territory.
For what it is worth, Buckley is also scheduled to compete against Tyron Woodley at RAF 12 before returning to the Octagon.
Malott (14-2-1), meanwhile, will headline his second UFC Canada event.
The 34-year-old is riding a four-fight win streak since suffering a massive upset loss to Neil Magny, and he is coming off the biggest win of his career: a third-round knockout over Gilbert Burns in his first UFC main event (watch highlights).
Malott is now 7-1 inside the Octagon and has quickly become one of the most important Canadian fighters on the roster.
Now, he gets another main event, another ranked opponent and another chance to prove he belongs near the top of the Welterweight division.
The only other fight announced for UFC Edmonton so far is the co-main event between Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius. The pair of Flyweights were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 330, but that matchup has now been moved to Edmonton.
Oh, Canada, indeed.
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
