The UFC is returning to Toronto, Canada in January and they are already stacking the deck with Canadian fighters. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck was the first to report last night that surging Canadian welterweight contender Mike Malott (10-1-1) will get his shot at cracking the rankings as he takes on “The Haitian Sensation” Neil Magny.
UFC 297 goes down on January 20th and while it hasn’t been confirmed via an official announcement, the bout agreements are all for Toronto. Starting with Neil Magny, he’s going to be looking to bounce back after a tough loss in his last bout.
Magny took a short-notice fight against Ian Garry and was absolutely dominated. From the opening bell, Garry chopped Magny down with leg kicks to the point where he could hardly walk. That said, he did still finish the fight. Overall, Magny is 3-3 in his last six but his losses are all against top competition such as Garry, Gilbert Burns, and Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’ll look to hold his spot in the UFC rankings when he takes on Malott in January.
UFC 297
Back in 2015, Bellator brought in this Canadian contender named Mike Malott for one fight and he fought to a draw. They ultimately didn’t sign him to a long term deal and he went back to the regional scene. After a couple of wins, Dana White invited him to The Contender Series.
He won that fight in under a minute and the UFC signed him. Since making his debut inside the octagon, Malott has been nothing short of special. He’s a perfect 3-0 and not a single fight has seen the third round. He’s just on the cusp of the rankings and this would be see him make that leap should he win.
Magny is no easy out and he’s been in there with the very best. If Malott can perform at the level he has been against a guy like Magny, the UFC just might have their next Canadian star on the rise.