Canadian welterweight Mike Malott headlines UFC Winnipeg this Saturday, his first main event spot since officially joining the UFC in 2022.
After winning on the Contender Series the previous year, Malott (13-2-1) rattled off three straight wins before suffering a setback against Neil Magny. He’s since bounced back with three more victories, which has landed him a spot opposite Gilbert Burns in Winnipeg.
“I think getting your name on the title of a UFC fight night is pretty is pretty damn cool,” Malott noted during this week’s media day.
Burns, a 12-year UFC veteran who previously challenged for welterweight gold, has been in a skid of late. Talk has been of the Brazilian falling off at the tail end of his career. That’s not what Malott has prepared for, however.
“I’m expecting the best version of him that we’ve seen so far. You’ve got to prepare for everything, man,” noted Malott. “You’ve got to prepare for a guy that’s going to come and fight for his life.”
That preparation has Malott “very confident going into this fight,” he added.
Mike Malott, alongside teammate Jasmine Jasudavicius, has emerged as the modern face of Canadian MMA. It’s something he has seemingly embraced.
“It’s important to recognize that people are saying that. It’s a blessing, it’s an honour to have people think of me in that way,” Malott said of his unofficial role as Canadian MMA ambassador. “But that’s not my focus and it’s not really my job to have them talk about me. My job is my performance and how I prepare for fights and the things that I can control. I can’t really control the way people talk about you. People are always in the sport going to say positive things and almost always going to say negative things.”
“So I try to just focus on what I can control and that’s what’s going to happen in the octagon, my preparation and my growth. I’ve made a lot of gains this camp, we’ve pushed in ways that I’ve never pushed before and brought the best out of me.”
Watch the full UFC Winnipeg media day appearance by Mike Malott above.
