It's Canadian Thanksgiving – and the UFC is rolling back into the Great White North.
UFC Fight Night 291 takes place Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and atop the fight card is native son Mike Malott, who takes on Joaquin Buckley in a five-round welterweight main event. It's a big opportunity, but one Malott (14-2-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) thinks he's earned.
"It just further cements everything that we're doing right," Malott told MMA Junkie on Monday. "It just shows that we're doing all the right things. We've made even more improvements and adjustments since then. It shows to just keep believing in the process. Keep doing what you're doing, trust your coaches, trust yourself, good things happen."
Buckley (21-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is a multitime
UFC headliner but has lost back-to-back fights to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady. He'll be hungry for victory – and will likely bring his signature trash talk to the table, as well.
"I love the matchup," Malott said. "It's a top-10 opponent. It's what we need. It's clearly the next step. I've beaten two top-15 guys, two ranked guys in my last two fights. I think that's a very logical next step. I like it, man.
"... I'm always ready for that (trash talk) stuff. I was expecting a bit more of that from (Kevin) Holland. He didn't talk too much trash before or during the fight. But obviously I've had that experience with (Charles) Radtke. You can really talk more trash than that guy both about me and my country. It's about as WWE as it can get. He did a good job with it and hyped the fight up, and everybody was stoked for it. If Buckley is silent, that's fine. If Buckley is loud and obnoxious or talking trash, that's fine, too. It doesn't change who I am. It doesn't change how I prepare. It doesn't change my skill set."
Malott, 34, is unsure of his exact proximity to a title but has so much respect for Buckley and his abilities, he thinks Saturday's fight will serve as the next litmus test. After that, the next step will be determined.
"He's fought some of the best guys in the world," Malott said. "(He's) one of the best welterweights out there. We even saw that with his grappling match. He dominated a world jiu-jitsu black-belt like six weeks after that at UFC BJJ. It goes to show he's not over the hill. He's not run down. He's still a super dangerous guy. I think it just proves the level I'm at. ... Obviously, we'll figure out what's after this after this. I feel like I'm climbing the ladder the way that I should."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Mike Malott says UFC Edmonton, Joaquin Buckley perfect next litmus test
