Mike
Malott proved he could more than handle the stressors of a
top-of-the-ticket assignment in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The burgeoning Niagara Top Team star put away Gilbert
Burns with punches in the third round of their
UFC Fight Night 273 headliner on Saturday at the Canada Life
Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Malott (14-2-1, 7-1 UFC) brought it
to a decisive close 2:08 into Round 3, as he logged the most
significant victory of his 17-fight career.
Burns (22-10, 15-10 UFC) tried and ultimately failed to keep the
Canadian at bay with leg kicks. Malott employed bulletproof
takedown defense and chipped away at the four-time Brazilian
jiu-jitsu world champion with accurate combination punching. By the
time the middle stanza rolled around, damage had begun to build on
Burns’ face. Malott dropped the Kill Cliff Fight Club mainstay with
a right uppercut and left hook, allowed him to stand, reset and
resumed his assault. An overhand right dropped Burns at the base of
the cage and signaled to his counterpart that the end was near.
Malott then cut loose with punches from both hands until the job
was done.
Meanwhile, ex-TKO Major League MMA champion Charles
Jourdain outlasted Kyler
Phillips to a unanimous decision in their competitive
three-round bantamweight co-main event. All three cageside judges
scored it the same: 29-28 for Jourdain (18-8-1, 9-7-1 UFC), who has
strung together three consecutive victories.
Phillips (12-5, 6-4 UFC) counteracted the Canadian’s frenetic pace
and standup weaponry with repeated takedowns, top control and
ground-and-pound. However, it taxed his gas tank and provided
Jourdain with the openings he needed once fatigue took hold. The
Academie Pro Star MMA export uncorked front kicks to the body,
flying knees and some stellar dirty boxing at close range. He also
carved out a significant gash above Phillips’ left eye, leaned on
his get-up game and pressed the issue from start to finish. It was
enough to curry the necessary favor on the scorecards.
The 30-year-old Phillips has lost three fights in a row.
Further down the main draw, former Cage Warriors champion Jai Herbert
rallied back from the brink to stop Mandel
Nallo with punches in the first round of their lightweight
showcase.
Herbert (14-6-1, 4-5-1 UFC) slammed the door 2:05 into Round 1,
netting his first finish since October 2021.
Nallo (14-4, 0-1 UFC) dropped the Team Renegade rep twice with
overhand rights but could not close the deal. Herbert turned the
tide with a counter right hand, continued to unleash punches during
the subsequent scramble and floored the Firas Zahabi protege with a
three-shot volley punctuated by a right hook. He then swarmed with
punches until referee Jason Herzog had seen enough.
The setback snapped a five-fight winning streak for Nallo.
Elsewhere, Niagara Top Team standout Jasmine
Jasudavicius rebounded from an Oct. 18 defeat to Manon
Fiorot with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Karine
Silva in their three-round women’s flyweight attraction.
Jasudavicius (15-4, 9-3 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks
from the assigned judiciary.
Silva (19-7, 5-3 UFC) countered the Canadian’s takedowns with a
hyperactive bottom game and the ever-present threat of a
submission. Jasudavicius navigated those dangers, stuck to her game
plan and racked up significant control time, particularly in the
second and third rounds. She did her best work across the final
five minutes, as she executed a takedown and flowed between side
control, half guard and the north-south position, all while she
activated her ground-and-pound and avoided a Hail Mary buggy choke
attempt from Silva.
Jasudavicius, 37, has posted six victories in seven outings.
Finally, Gauge Young
called upon volume and variety in largely one-sided standup
exchanges to nail down a split decision over former Resurrection
Fighting Alliance champion Thiago
Moises in their three-round lightweight appetizer. All three
cageside judges turned in 29-28 scorecards: David Therien for
Moises, Sal D’Amato and Junichiro Kamijo for Young.
Moises (19-10, 8-8 UFC) attacked the lower lead leg with kicks,
completed two takedowns and maneuvered behind the American in the
first round, where he threatened with a modified twister and an
armbar. Young found another gear in the middle stanza. He pressed
forward behind punches, employed a stout jab and shored up his
takedown defense. Moises could not keep pace and spent the majority
of his time either eating shots or whiffing on takedowns. Gauge
floored the Brazilian with an overhand right in Round 3, opened a
few small cuts and piled up points with one-twos to the body,
sneaky teeps and powerful leg kicks.
Young, 25, has won six of his past eight bouts.
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UFC Winnipeg Prelims: Robert Valentin, Gokhan Saricam, John Yannis
deliver finishes in the Great White North
