Mike Malott: record, style and what is next
Who Mike Malott is and where he stands
Mike Malott, nicknamed "Proper", is a Canadian welterweight with a record of 15-2-1 as of 20 October 2026. He is on a five-fight winning streak after knocking out Joaquin Buckley in round two of UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott in Edmonton on 17 October, a result covered in our Buckley vs. Malott recap.
He was born on 7 November 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio, fights for Canada, is based in Burlington, Ontario, and trains at Niagara Top Team. He is 34, stands 6 ft 1 in and has a 73 inch reach.
On the UFC's official welterweight list, updated on 6 and 10 October, before the Edmonton card, he was ranked 13th and Buckley was 10th. Beating a fighter ranked above him should move him up when the list is next refreshed. Islam Makhachev is the divisional champion.
How Mike Malott fights
Malott is a long, patient striker who throws kicks to set up everything else and carries a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His UFC athlete page credits him with 4.09 significant strikes landed per minute at 50 per cent accuracy, against 2.99 absorbed per minute at 58 per cent defence.
The finishing record shows two sides to his game. Of his 15 wins, seven came by KO or TKO, six by submission and two by decision. He averages 1.51 takedowns and 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and his takedown defence is 57 per cent.
The Buckley finish was a clean example. In round one he was patient, kicking the body and landing right hands. In round two he reversed a clinch against the fence and dug knees into Buckley's midsection, and when Buckley rushed in throwing hooks he fired a body kick that turned into a knee to the head.
His striking comes from his background: he started at House of Champions in Stoney Creek, Ontario, around the age of 17, and later coached striking at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California.
The numbers also show how his fights end. He averages 0.9 knockdowns per 15 minutes and his average fight time is 9 minutes 3 seconds, so most of his fights are decided inside the distance.
The road to the UFC
Malott took the long way to the UFC. He trained at Titans MMA in Halifax while studying at Dalhousie University, and after a hiatus he coached striking at Team Alpha Male, where he cornered UFC fighters including Urijah Faber and Cody Garbrandt. His younger brother Jeff is a professional hockey player in the Anaheim Ducks organisation.
He earned his UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series. Before that he won the XFFC lightweight title in 2017 with a knockout of Craig Shintani, beat Solomon Renfro at Cage Fury 91, and then beat Shimon Smotritsky on the Contender Series in season five.
He made his UFC debut at UFC 273 on 9 April 2022, stopping Mickey Gall with punches in round one. He then submitted Yohan Lainesse with an arm-triangle in February 2023 and Adam Fugitt with a guillotine at UFC 289 in June 2023.
His first UFC defeat came at UFC 297 on 20 January 2024, when Neil Magny stopped him with punches in round three. Malott then rebuilt with the run that has made him a main-event fighter.
The recent run
Five straight wins have taken him from the fringes of the division to a main-event slot twice in a row:
- Trevin Giles, 2 November 2024: unanimous decision.
- Charles Radtke, 10 May 2025 (UFC 315): KO in round two after 26 seconds.
- Kevin Holland, 18 October 2025: unanimous decision.
- Gilbert Burns, 18 April 2026 (Winnipeg): TKO in round three at 2:08. Burns announced his retirement in the cage afterwards.
- Joaquin Buckley, 17 October 2026 (Edmonton): KO in round two at 2:32, a Performance of the Night bonus.
Wikipedia counts four Performance of the Night awards in his UFC career, from the Lainesse, Fugitt, Burns and Buckley fights.
What happens next for Mike Malott
No next fight has been announced as of 20 October 2026, and his UFC page lists none.
The win over Buckley, plus the stoppage of Burns six months earlier, gives him two main-event finishes against well-known names in one year. The rankings update will show how far he climbs, and the opponent he gets will say whether the UFC sees him as a title contender or a gatekeeper for the top ten. For a 34-year-old in a crowded division, his next booking matters.
FAQs
What is Mike Malott's record?
Mike Malott is 15-2-1 as of 20 October 2026. Seven of his wins came by KO or TKO, six by submission and two by decision. He has won five in a row, most recently by second-round knockout over Joaquin Buckley in Edmonton on 17 October 2026.
Who did Mike Malott beat at UFC Edmonton?
Malott beat Joaquin Buckley by KO in round two at 2:32 of the main event on 17 October 2026. The finish was a knee to the head that came from a body kick as Buckley rushed forward. The fight was given a Performance of the Night bonus on the UFC results page.
Where is Mike Malott ranked?
The UFC list, last updated before the Edmonton card, had Malott 13th at welterweight, with Buckley 10th. That ranking predates the win, so expect a rise at the next refresh. Check the UFC rankings page for the current number before quoting it anywhere.
Who has Mike Malott lost to in the UFC?
His only UFC defeat is to Neil Magny, who stopped him with punches in round three of UFC 297 on 20 January 2024. Since then Malott has beaten Giles, Radtke, Holland, Burns and Buckley. His professional record shows two losses in total, both by KO or TKO.
Who is Mike Malott fighting next?
Nothing is booked as of 20 October 2026, and the UFC athlete page lists no upcoming fight. After beating Gilbert Burns in April and Joaquin Buckley in October, the next announcement will show where the UFC wants to place him in the welterweight top ten.