UFC Fight Night predictions -- Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott: Fight card, odds and expert picks for Edmonton — SkimNews
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- Mike Malott (14-2-1) headlines UFC Fight Night in Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 17, making his seventh straight start in Canada and second straight main event on home soil after knocking out Gilbert Burns in April.
- Joaquin Buckley (21-8) defends his No. 10 welterweight ranking, trying to rebound from grappling losses to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady that halted momentum built on his KOs of Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.
- Erin Blanchfield told CBS Sports the UFC didn't offer her the vacated flyweight title shot — she had to reach out herself — setting up her co-main against Jasmine Jasudavicius after Natalia Silva claimed the belt at UFC 332.
- 12 of the 13 fights on the card feature a Canadian fighter, with Melissa Croden the heaviest betting favorite at -300 defending her No. 15 women's bantamweight ranking.
- Malott hasn't fought outside Canada in nearly four years, per the article, which frames him as a 'North Star' for Canadian MMA amid a roster-heavy home card.
- CBS Sports expert pick: Buckley by KO in Round 4, citing his improved wrestling defense despite a historical vulnerability to grapplers like Usman and Brady.
Why it matters: Buckley's ranking and contender trajectory are on the line after back-to-back grappling losses, while a Malott win would put the source's claim of a 'collision course' with the welterweight elite within reach. The Blanchfield-Jasudavicius co-main reshapes a flyweight division still sorting out Valentina Shevchenko's injury-induced vacancy, with Blanchfield's own statement about being passed over adding friction to the title race.
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