Joaquin Buckley and Mike Malott meet in a five-round welterweight main event when the UFC returns to Edmonton on Saturday 17 October. Buckley is trying to halt a two-fight losing run, while Malott gets another major opportunity on home soil after climbing into the rankings. The latest markets for the fight can be found through the UFC odds page.
It is an interesting matchup because both men arrive with something to prove.
Buckley has already shared the Octagon with several of the division’s biggest names, but consecutive defeats have slowed the momentum he built during a six-fight winning streak.
Malott is moving in the opposite direction. He has rebuilt well since his loss to Neil Magny and now gets the chance to beat a top-10 opponent in front of a Canadian crowd.
When Is Joaquin Buckley vs Mike Malott?
Joaquin Buckley vs Mike Malott takes place on Saturday 17 October 2026 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.
For UK viewers, the event runs into the early hours of Sunday morning.
The preliminary card is scheduled to begin at 10pm BST on Saturday, with the main card starting at 1am BST on Sunday 18 October. The exact main-event start time will depend on how long the earlier fights last.
Anyone following the rest of the year can find every confirmed date and UK start time in our UFC schedule 2026.
Joaquin Buckley vs Mike Malott Odds
Buckley and Malott meet over five rounds at welterweight, and the latest fight prices are available through BetVictor ahead of the event.
As always with UFC markets, the odds can move throughout fight week as more money comes in and the fighters complete their final preparations.
The main moneyline will naturally attract most of the attention, but method of victory and round betting should also be interesting here.
Buckley has serious knockout power, with 15 stoppage wins on his record, while Malott has six wins by knockout and another six by submission.
That range of finishing ability is one reason this feels like more than a straightforward rankings fight.
Odds are subject to change.
Joaquin Buckley Form
Buckley comes into Edmonton with a record of 21-8.
His recent results do not look particularly pretty on paper, but there is some context behind them.
Kamaru Usman ended Buckley’s six-fight winning run in June 2025 before Sean Brady beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 328 earlier this year.
Those are two extremely difficult opponents, particularly for a fighter who does his best work when he can settle into striking exchanges.
Brady’s wrestling caused Buckley major problems, while Usman was able to control large parts of their five-round fight.
Malott presents a different challenge.
He has a dangerous submission game and will certainly look for opportunities to grapple, but his approach is not identical to Brady or Usman.
That should give Buckley more opportunities to attack.
His speed and power remain the biggest dangers for Malott, especially if the Canadian spends too long standing directly in front of him.
Buckley is still ranked No.10 in the welterweight division, so a win here would also stop him sliding further away from the leading contenders. The latest divisional picture can be found in our updated UFC rankings.
Mike Malott Form
Malott enters the biggest fight of his UFC career with a professional record of 14-2-1.
He has six wins by knockout and six by submission, which tells you plenty about the kind of threat he carries.
Nine of his victories have also come in the opening round. The obvious turning point in Malott’s UFC run came against Neil Magny in January 2024.
Malott controlled much of the contest but faded badly late on, with Magny stopping him with only seconds remaining in the third round. He has responded impressively.
Malott has since put together another winning run and most recently stopped former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns in Winnipeg in April.
That victory pushed him further up the rankings and earned him this main-event opportunity. Buckley should tell us more about where Malott really belongs.
Beating Burns was significant, but Buckley brings more explosiveness and is still dangerous enough to change a fight very quickly if Malott gives him an opening.
Buckley vs Malott Tale of the Fight
There is a fairly obvious clash of strengths here. Buckley will want room.
His best moments usually come when he is able to explode forward, force reactions and make opponents uncomfortable with his power.
Malott has more reason to mix things up.
He can strike, but his grappling gives him another route into the fight, particularly if Buckley starts finding his rhythm on the feet.
The real question for Malott might be what happens if the fight reaches the championship rounds.
This is scheduled for five rounds, and his late collapse against Magny is still difficult to completely forget.
He has looked better since then, but Buckley is dangerous enough that Malott cannot afford to slow dramatically after a strong opening 10 or 15 minutes.
Buckley vs Malott Full Fight Card
The UFC currently lists the following bouts for Edmonton.
Main Card
- Joaquin Buckley vs Mike Malott
- Erin Blanchfield vs Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Kyle Nelson vs Cristian Perez
- Marc-Andre Barriault vs Kyle Daukaus
- Louis Jourdain vs Timmy Cuamba
- Mandel Nallo vs Nate Landwehr
Preliminary Card
- Tanner Boser vs Jhonata Diniz
- Julien LeBlanc vs Nick Galanti
- Javad Mahjoub vs Joel Faglier
- Katlyn Cerminara vs Mackenzie Stiller
- Chad Anheliger vs Steven Koslow
- Melissa Croden vs Chelsea Chandler
- Cody Chovancek vs SuYoung You
The lineup remains subject to change during fight week.
Blanchfield vs Jasudavicius is particularly important underneath the main event, with both women sitting near the top of the flyweight rankings.
Joaquin Buckley vs Mike Malott Prediction
I am leaning towards Joaquin Buckley.
That might look slightly strange considering he has lost his last two fights and Malott comes in with much better momentum, but styles matter here.
Buckley’s recent defeats came against Usman and Brady, two fighters capable of controlling where long stretches of a fight take place.
Malott is a genuine grappling threat, but I am not convinced he can dominate Buckley in the same way for five rounds.
There is also the question of Malott’s pacing.
He has looked much better since the Magny defeat, but this is another five-round main event against an opponent who carries knockout power deep enough into the fight to make one mistake costly.
Malott should have success. I would expect him to look for clinches and takedowns rather than willingly trade with Buckley for extended periods.
I just think Buckley eventually creates enough striking exchanges to turn the fight in his favour.
Prediction: Joaquin Buckley to win.
A victory would not immediately put Buckley into a title fight, but it would keep him firmly inside a welterweight division that remains wide open behind the leading contenders.
Malott, meanwhile, has the chance to produce the biggest win of his career and jump from No.13 towards the top 10.
That gives this Fight Night main event a little more significance than the rankings beside their names might initially suggest.
For more previews, results, rankings and breaking fight news, visit the BetVictor UFC and MMA News section.
