Buckley vs. Malott: UFC Edmonton Picks, Card & Odds — SkimNews
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- Mike Malott (14-2-1) headlines UFC Fight Night in Edmonton against No. 10-ranked Joaquin Buckley on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Rogers Place, making it his seventh straight UFC start in Canada and first since knocking out and retiring Gilbert Burns in April.
- Buckley (21-8) enters on a two-fight skid after losses to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady halted momentum built by knockouts of Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington, including his iconic spinning back kick of Impa Kasanganay.
- The co-main event pits Erin Blanchfield against Jasmine Jasudavicius with women's flyweight title stakes after Valentina Shevchenko vacated due to injury and Natalia Silva defeated Wang Cong at UFC 332.
- Twelve of 13 scheduled fights feature a Canadian in one corner, with Melissa Croden a -300 betting favorite as she defends her No. 15 women's bantamweight ranking.
- Expert prediction: Buckley via KO in Round 4, citing Malott's unproven five-round pacing versus Buckley's demonstrated late-round cardio against Usman.
Why it matters: A win over Buckley pushes Malott onto a collision course with the welterweight division's top names, while a third straight loss likely ends Buckley's Top-10 tenure and reshuffles the 170-pound contender picture.
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