Mike Malott vs. Joaquin Buckley squared off in a Welterweight bout earlier tonight (Sat., Oct. 17, 2026) inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for UFC Edmonton. In an incredible finish, Malott timed a perfect high kick/knee knockout in the second round.
Malott struck first with a nice body kick. Buckley swung big with a hook then took another kick. A Buckley counter hook just missed. A Malott high kick was just barely blocked, and Buckley answered well with a counter. Buckley scored with a kick of
his own. Buckley tried to explode at the end of the round but nothing really landed. All told, the first five minutes were a competitive feeling-out process.
Malott landed the heavier kicks, but Buckley landed more punches.
Buckley pushed forward right into a counter shot to start the second, and the duo moved into the clinch for the first time. Malott landed several hard knees from close quarters into the mid-section before they separated. Both men were a little fatigued out in the open after the clinch work, but then Malott timed a head kick right to the jawline!
Buckley hit the canvas face-first, and one follow up punch served as the nail in the coffin.
Malott came into this bout known for his well-rounded game, but he just badly knocked out the knockout artist! He was very composed in the face of Buckley’s formidable power, standing his ground to find counter shots and intercepting kicks. By the second, he seemed to have a strong grasp of his opponent’s timing, leading to the nasty final shot.
Who’s next for the newly Top 10-ranked Canadian?
Result: Malott defeats Buckley via second-round knockout
For complete UFC Edmonton results and play-by-play, click here.
