Mike Malott and Trevin Giles meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns for his second fight of 2024, looking to erase the sting of a frustrating loss to Neil Magny in January. The result was the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran’s first loss in the UFC. Malott won his first three fights in the promotion. … Giles (16-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has never lost three in a row, and enters his second fight of the year on a two-fight skid. Prior to being finished by Gabriel Bonfim and Carlos Prates, Giles picked up a pair of decisions over Louis Cosce and Preston Parsons.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
Despite having guaranteed, high-level action fights like Victor Henry vs. Charles Jourdain on the prelims, the UFC matchmakers decided to kick off the main card with a welterweight matchup between Malott and Giles.
In the matchmakers’ defense, whenever they disrespectfully go against Joe Silva’s tried and true method of booking lighter-weight men’s divisions to set proper entertainment tones, they at least pick welterweight or middleweight fights that have a high potential for finishes.
From a stylistic perspective, there are potential finishing points across the board in this fight between Malott and Giles.
Giles is the more experienced of the two, but he is also the type of fighter who can surprise you with how good he looks until spontaneously combusting at the hands of an opponent.
Whereas Malott, who can find finishes out of nowhere, is also not beyond going from cruise control to internal combustion in the blink of an eye.
Still, even though you can argue either party is untrustworthy, I can’t help but pick Malott to rise to the occasion in this spot.
The pick is Malott to score a club-and-sub in Round 2.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Canadian fighter, listing Malott -310 and Giles +240 via FanDuel.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
As the main card opening bout, Malott and Giles are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.
