Din Thomas sees a lot of potential in Mike Malott.
Malott (14-2-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will look to continue his assent up the welterweight rankings when he takes on Joaquin Buckley (21-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 291 (Paramount+) main event at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
It hasn't been easy for Malott to fill the shoes of former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and former title challenger Rory MacDonald, but he's on the right path. He has momentum over Buckley, but Thomas said that's what makes the knockout artist a stiff test for the Canadian.
"Canada's hope for a next champion," Thomas said of Malott on "Deep Waters." "I like Mike Malott. I think he's really coming into his own skin. This is a test for him.
If he can get past Buckley, he can insert himself in this group of top contenders. Dangerous test because especially Buckley's last run, he's certainly got to be hungry for a W, so let's see what he could pull off. But, Mike Malott, Canada had some great MMA fighters, and Mike Malott seems to be the next guy they're looking at to kind of hold that torch for them."
Malott's lone blemish in the octagon came against veteran Neil Magny at UFC 297, who is not stranger to pulling off big upset wins.
"Neil Magny, that wasn't supposed to happen," Thomas said. "Neil Magny was like, 'Yo, I didn't come here to lose tonight.' Mike Malott was handling him, handling him, and he just got tired, and Neil Magny was like, 'Got you!'"
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC analyst: Joaquin Buckley hungry to win, 'dangerous test' for Mike Malott
