Captain Canada comes home with his self-anointed "Maple Leaf Militia." Mike Malott makes his seventh straight start in Canada on Saturday, headlining in his home nation in back-to-back fights. This time, he wants Joaquin Buckley's No. 10 welterweight ranking at UFC Fight Night in Edmonton. This is make-or-break for Buckley (21-8).
"New Mansa," a reference to the historical Mali Empire ruler Mansa Musa, seemed to be on his own conquest after he knocked out former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington. Buckley has always shown potential; look no further than his iconic spinning back kick KO against Impa Kasanganay. Unfortunately, dominant grappling losses to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady completely halted his momentum.
His confidence remains intact, even if outside belief is dwindling, as he defends his spot in the welterweight Top 10 this weekend. "I thought I was very, very, very prepared for Sean Brady. I thought I was, to be honest, and Sean Brady came in and did his job," Buckley told CBS Sports.
"But I can't be concerned about what the other man is going to do. I just have to put myself in a position where I'm always on the offensive. And a great offense is a great defense." Malott (14-2-1) has a very unique role in the UFC ecosystem.
He's essentially become the North Star for a Great White North sorely in need of it. It's been nearly four years since Malott has fought outside of Canada. His first main event, which took place in April, saw him knock out and retire longtime contender Gilbert Burns.
If Malott can stop Buckley, who is two years younger than him despite being the UFC veteran, he'll be on a collision course with the division's top names. "There are definitely things we saw in studying him that we believe we can take advantage of in all aspects of fighting," Malott told CBS Sports. "I don't love scripting a fight.
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