UFC News This Week: Malott Flattens Buckley, Allen Chokes Duncan and the UFC Lets an Unbeaten Contender Go

Image: Btcfight, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The biggest result since our last roundup came at Rogers Place on Saturday 17 October, where Mike Malott knocked out Joaquin Buckley at 2:32 of the second round in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs Malott. Buckley threw a left hand, Malott timed a knee straight up the middle onto his jaw, and referee Marc Goddard stepped in after one follow-up punch.

The numbers explain why this matters at welterweight. Malott went in ranked No. 13 and beat the No. 10, he is now 15-2-1 overall and 8-1 in the UFC, and it is his fifth win in a row. Buckley has now lost three straight, after decisions against Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman, and slides further from the contender conversation he was in a year ago.

Malott did not call anyone out, saying that is "not my style", but said he wants a top-10 opponent next and perhaps a top-five name after that. The UFC tagged the knockout as a Performance of the Night. Dana White said of a Canadian headliner winning at home: "You couldn't do it any better than that."

The card as a whole delivered. White pointed out that 12 of the 13 bouts ended inside the distance, the only exception being the co-main event below. Cristian Perez flattened Kyle Nelson in 27 seconds on his debut, and Marc-Andre Barriault and Mandel Nallo also picked up Performance of the Night tags. Every result is on our UFC Edmonton event page.

Jasmine Jasudavicius produced the best win of her career in the co-main event, beating Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 29-28. She went in ranked joint No. 6 at women's flyweight against the No. 4, and she won it largely with her grappling after building an early lead.

Jasudavicius is now 16-4 and has won seven of her last eight. Blanchfield (14-3) has lost only twice in the UFC, and this was one of them. That matters because Blanchfield was one of the names the UFC itself listed as a possible first challenger for new champion Natalia Silva after UFC 332.

No title fight has been booked. Asked whether the new Canadian pay-per-view helps her case, White said it "definitely doesn't hurt", which is about as close to a hint as the UFC gives. Valentina Shevchenko, Alexa Grasso and Manon Fiorot still sit above her in the rankings, so the next update will tell you how far she has jumped.

Image: D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A week earlier, on Saturday 10 October at the Meta APEX, No. 4 middleweight Brendan Allen submitted England's Christian Leroy Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of the fifth round. Duncan's corner had told him he needed the last round; Allen took him down off a bodylock, got both hooks in and forced the tap.

It was not a one-sided night. Duncan lost a point in round two for an eye poke, called by referee Marc Goddard, but had spells on top in the third and gave Allen real problems on the feet. The finish was Allen's 15th UFC middleweight win and his fourth victory in a row since he moved his camp to train with former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.

On the microphone with Michael Bisping, Allen asked for a title shot or, failing that, a fight with former champion Dricus Du Plessis. The queue in front of him is the problem: Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov are still to agree terms, and Khamzat Chimaev and Du Plessis are ranked above him. For Duncan, who had won five straight, it is a setback rather than a reset; he is listed at No. 10 in the current rankings.

Jai Herbert, another British fighter, took a unanimous decision over Matheus Camilo in the co-main, and Andre Fili and Otari Tanzilovi both scored head-kick knockouts in round two. Full results are on our UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan page.

The most surprising roster move of the fortnight was a departure, not a signing. Farid Basharat, 16-0 overall and 7-0 in the UFC, was removed from the roster around 14 October after his contract ran out, as reported by MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. He was ranked No. 13 at bantamweight.

Basharat confirmed it on social media, writing "The news is confirmed, I am no longer with the UFC," and said he was never offered a new contract or an opponent after beating John Garza by unanimous decision at UFC 329 in July. He also claimed the longest active win streak in his division.

The UFC has not given a reason. White was asked about it after Edmonton and said: "If you're 16-0 with seven wins in the UFC and don't get re-signed, there's definitely a reason." Six of Basharat's seven UFC wins went to decision, which is the most common explanation offered. He is now a free agent, and his brother Javid, also released by the UFC, signed with the PFL.

One of the UFC's longest-serving journeymen called time on 10 October. Gerald Meerschaert, 38, moved up to light heavyweight for the first time for his 60th professional fight and was stopped by Julius Walker with ground-and-pound at 3:35 of the second round.

It was his seventh defeat in a row, and he told Bisping in the cage that he was done after 20 years in the sport, adding that he could not fight forever and would miss it. Some outlets listed him as released; his own announcement makes it a retirement. Walker, 11 years younger, improved to 8-3.

Dana White's Contender Series wrapped up its tenth season on Tuesday 13 October with four more UFC deals, taking the season to 46 contracts. Luis Francischinelli stopped Will Rentz in 2:18 and Douglas Da Lapa finished Davi Cabral 19 seconds into the third round, while Gregory Foster and Smilla Sundell were signed after 29-28 unanimous decisions.

Sundell's contract nearly did not happen. White said he wanted her to get more experience first, but matchmaker Mick Maynard disagreed and White admitted his team outvoted him.

The headliner went the other way. Erick Visconde shut out Ilias Bulaid 30-27 on all three cards but was not signed, with White telling him "Not tonight, my friend." Visconde said afterwards that he broke his hand in the second round and had to lean on his wrestling. He will have to wait for next season.

The UFC confirmed that UFC 336 will be held in Toronto on 30 January 2027, three months after the promotion's visit to Edmonton. No fights have been announced yet, so treat any card you see listed elsewhere with caution until the UFC publishes it.

On the business side, the UFC, Disney+ and ESPN announced a multi-year exclusive media rights deal for the Philippines on 19 October. ESPN on Disney+ becomes the home of the UFC there, starting with UFC 333 on 24 October, and the package includes every live event plus UFC Countdown, The Ultimate Fighter and Road to UFC. It does not change anything for viewers in the UK, where TNT Sports remains the broadcaster.

Saturday 24 October: UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi has two title fights. Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight belt against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev (20-0, 10-0 in the UFC), and Petr Yan defends the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in their third fight. Volkanovski has said a bad night could be his last.

For UK fans: because it is in Abu Dhabi, this one is on at a civilised hour. The UFC lists early prelims at 3pm BST, prelims at 5pm and the main card at 7pm BST. England's Lone'er Kavanagh fights Ramazan Temirov at flyweight on the main card.

Saturday 31 October: Renato Moicano meets Tom Nolan in the main event of a Fight Night at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Also look out for the rankings update that includes Edmonton, which should show where Malott and Jasudavicius land.

• UFC.com: UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs Malott event page
• Yahoo Sports: UFC Edmonton results, Mike Malott viciously folds Joaquin Buckley; Jasmine Jasudavicius shocks Erin Blanchfield
• Yahoo Sports: UFC Edmonton results, Mike Malott annihilates Joaquin Buckley with savage knee
• UFC.com: Dana White on UFC Edmonton, Mike Malott, Joaquin Buckley, Jasmine Jasudavicius and more
• UFC.com: UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan event page
• Cageside Press: UFC Vegas 122, Brendan Allen sinks in late choke, taps Christian Leroy Duncan
• Field Level Media: Brendan Allen uses late submission to win Fight Night main event
• UFC.com: Official rankings
• Cageside Press: Undefeated Farid Basharat confirms UFC departure
• Heavy: UFC removes undefeated bantamweight contender from roster
• Cageside Press: UFC Vegas 122, Julius Walker retires 60-fight vet Gerald Meerschaert
• Wikipedia: 2026 in UFC
• Cageside Press: Dana White's Contender Series season 10, week 10 results
• MMA Sucka: Dana White hands out contracts at DWCS finale, snubs main event winner
• Heavy: Dana White hands out 4 UFC deals following DWCS week 10
• Agent MMA: UFC 336 headed to Toronto on January 30
• UFC.com: UFC, Disney+ and ESPN announce multi-year exclusive media rights agreement in the Philippines
• UFC.com: UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev event page

Who won UFC Edmonton?

Mike Malott won the main event, knocking out Joaquin Buckley with a knee and a follow-up punch at 2:32 of the second round at Rogers Place on 17 October 2026. In the co-main event Jasmine Jasudavicius beat Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three cards. Twelve of the 13 bouts on the card ended in finishes.

What is Mike Malott's record now?

Mike Malott is 15-2-1 in professional MMA and 8-1 in the UFC after knocking out Joaquin Buckley in Edmonton. It was his fifth win in a row. He went into the fight ranked No. 13 at welterweight against the No. 10, and said afterwards he wants a top-10 opponent next.

Is Jasmine Jasudavicius getting a title shot?

Not yet. No title fight has been booked against flyweight champion Natalia Silva. Jasudavicius beat the No. 4 ranked Erin Blanchfield to move to 16-4 with seven wins in her last eight, and Dana White said the win "definitely doesn't hurt" her case, but Shevchenko, Grasso and Fiorot are still ranked above her.

Why did the UFC release Farid Basharat?

The UFC has not said. Basharat, 16-0 overall and 7-0 in the UFC, was removed from the roster in mid-October after his contract ended, and he says he was never offered a new deal or an opponent. Dana White said there is "definitely a reason" when an unbeaten fighter is not re-signed, without giving it. Six of his seven UFC wins were decisions.

Who did Brendan Allen beat and what is next for him?

Brendan Allen submitted Christian Leroy Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of the fifth round on 10 October 2026 at the Meta APEX, his fourth straight win. Allen, ranked No. 4 at middleweight, asked for a title shot or a fight with Dricus Du Plessis. Nothing has been booked.

When and where is UFC 336?

UFC 336 is set for Toronto on 30 January 2027, a quick return to Canada after Edmonton. No bouts have been announced yet. Before that, UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October has two title fights, and UFC 335 in Las Vegas on 12 December is headlined by Charles Oliveira against Diego Lopes.