All was going well for Mike Malott at UFC 297 – until it wasn’t.
After a dominant opening two rounds, Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was finished with ground-and-pound strikes by opponent Neil Magny 28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC) in what will likely be a Comeback of the Year candidate at the end of 2024. The stoppage came at 4:45 of Round 3.
The welterweight bout took place on the UFC 297 main card Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Out to “Fat Lip” by Sum 41 came Malott, viewed by many as the next major torch-bearing fighter for Canada. His entrance was met by a loud ovation, much the opposite of his opponent Magny, who was met with “F*ck Neil Magny” chants early in Round 1.
Malott continued the success of Magny’s previous opponent Ian Garry with effective kicks that chewed up the lead leg of Magny. After one kick in particular, Magny did a little pogo hop, which was audibly picked up on by the crowd.
Magny came out more aggressive in Round 2 and pressed Malott with a combination. The move backfired as the two fighters bumped into the fence. The recoil gave Malott the momentum he needed to seamlessly transition into a takedown. Magny rose to his feet after a short period on the ground.
Malott dragged him back down again shortly thereafter and hopped into mound. Just before the horn, Malott rained down big ground-and-pound.
In the final round, Malott went back to the well of success: the grappling department – but there was a plot twist.
Magny swept Malott and ended up on top. Big punches landed on Malott, who tried to grab hold of a leg for a submission. Magny defended and went back on the offensive. Big punch after big punch landed. Eventually, Malott turned to his side.
Referee Kevin MacDonald gave Malott plenty of opportunity to show him something, but the something never came. The fight was waived off.
Neil Magny gets the finish with SECONDS to go 😱#UFC297 | @NeilMagny pic.twitter.com/ILsi0wwff6
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
Magny moves to 2-1 in his most recent three and bounces back from a loss to Ian Garry in August. A member of the UFC roster since 2013, Magny has alternated wins and losses over the span of his most recent seven outings.
The loss was Malott’s first in the UFC, but second as a professional. Malott didn’t lose in his previous seven outings, dating back to a 2014 unanimous decision defeat to Hakeem Dawodu under the WSOF banner.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 297 results include:
- Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:45
- Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision (30-27, 28–29, 30-27)
- Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain via split decision (29-28, 28–29, 29-28)
- Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey via split decision (29-28, 28–29, 29-28)
- Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:12
- Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:03
- Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 3, 4:21
- Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:17
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
