Malott Knocks Out Buckley in UFC Edmonton Main Event

Mike Malott knocked out Joaquin Buckley in the second round of the UFC Edmonton main event on October 17, ending Buckley’s bid to rebound from two consecutive defeats. The result followed a pre-fight week in which Buckley declined handshake offers and remained silent in an interview, conduct that drew attention but whose motivation was not established. The fight took place at Rogers Place in Edmonton. UFC’s results post recorded a second-round knockout at 2:32, but described the finishing strike inconsistently: its result line identified a head kick, while its live account said Malott landed a knee. The available reporting therefore supports the knockout result and round, but not a definitive description of the strike. Before the bout, Malott had won four straight fights, while Buckley was coming off losses to Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman. The knockout extended Malott’s run and gave him a victory in the headline bout. Buckley’s earlier six-fight winning streak had ended with those two defeats. At the ceremonial weigh-ins on October 16, Buckley did not accept handshakes from Malott or UFC chief executive Dana White, according to reports describing the face-off. Buckley kept his...