Malott KOs Buckley as Canadians shine at UFC Edmonton
By YEGWAVE
Mike Malott gave the Rogers Place crowd exactly what it came for Saturday night, knocking out Joaquin Buckley with a knee at 2:32 of the second round to headline UFC Fight Night in Edmonton.
The Burlington, Ontario welterweight needed less than two full rounds to finish Buckley, sending the sold-out building into a frenzy and staking his claim as Canada's next contender at 170 pounds.
Canadians deliver
It was a banner night for Canadian fighters on home soil. Jasmine Jasudavicius dominated former title challenger Erin Blanchfield in the co-main event, winning a unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) to extend her rise through the women's flyweight division.
Tanner Boser, Marc-André Barriault and Mandel Nallo all scored stoppage wins, giving Canada five victories on the card.
Tough night for Croden
Melissa Croden came up short in her bout, submitted in the first round. Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland — who spent fight week criticizing Edmonton's downtown before embracing the city's hockey culture — was in her corner cageside.
Strickland made headlines of his own earlier Saturday, appearing at the Rally for Alberta at the provincial legislature and addressing the crowd from the podium.
Record-setting finishes
The card produced 12 finishes across 13 bouts, tying the modern UFC record for most finishes at a single event. Cody Chovancek, Chad Anheliger and debuting Louis Jourdain all fell short for the Canadian contingent.
Official results via UFC.com.
