In phrases of high quality, UFC Edmonton could simply be thought-about just another UFC Vegas card. The occasion featured two related matchups between ranked athletes and then a entire bunch of newcomer prospects and middling veterans, same as a common night time at the Meta Apex.
The standout distinction? A document 12 Canadians competed in Edmonton … and it did not begin very effectively.
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The first 5 Canadians who competed were all completed in principally one-sided fights. Four of them were submitted in a weak show of grappling, and the exception was knocked out in the lowest-level UFC Heavyweight combat since the last weekend. It was starting to look like a grim night time for Canada until Edmonton’s own Tanner Boser flipped the script with his own show of offensive wrestling.
Nothing against “The Bulldozer,” but we can’t fake his combat was important in the grand scheme of issues. It’s higher for the followers in attendance if their athletes are at least sometimes successful, of course, but Canada does not just need random “Prelims” victories. Older motion fighters like Mandel Nallo and Marc-Andre Barriault selecting up stoppage wins on the principal card is great, but it’s no substitute when Georges St. Pierre ruled the Octagon for a decade.
There’s no changing “GSP,” but some precise contenders would be good, proper? As it turns out, UFC Edmonton truly produced the two greatest profession wins of its two present best fighters, teammates Jasmine Jasudavicius and Michael Malott.
In the co-main occasion, Jasudavicius was a vital underdog, broadly expected to get out-grappled by Erin Blanchfield. Blanchfield is the most achieved jiu-jitsu participant in the division, as effectively as a full decade youthful. She’s on the rise, whereas Jasudavicius has felt like an overachiever at instances.
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She continued overachieving last night time! Jasudavicius timed her takedowns effectively then used a mixture of physicality and masterful back-taking to cleanly control the more achieved grappler. It was the greatest upset of the night, and the win should transfer Jasudavicius into the Top Five of a huge open girls’s Flyweight division.
The late bloomer has now won seven of her last eight and might be Canada’s best hope at gold in 2027.
Malott, meanwhile, has constantly impressed since his UFC signing in 2022. Despite a combine of slick finishes on the ft and canvas, combat followers have been hesitant to rally behind “Proper” Mike. He’s not younger at 34 years of age, and the Neil Magny stoppage loss — in which Malott beat Magny up until fatiguing in the closing seconds of the combat — still looms giant in the minds of many.
Malott’s principal occasion efficiency should help everyone transfer on. He confirmed great composure and bravery to stand in the face of a vaunted puncher and pursue his own knockout. Buckley is an intimidating man to stand in entrance of. He lunges ahead and throws his hooks at bizarre angles. That’s disadvantageous in many methods, but his erratic offense can throw off veteran opposition and make them hesitant to interact.
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Malott performed his opponent effectively. He took his time with kicks and motion to set up Buckley’s vary, broke him down with knees in the clinch, and then kicked him in the face once he was drained. Buckley’s mouthpiece rocketing across the Octagon will perpetually be a profession spotlight for Malott, one that helps push him into the Top 10 with appreciable momentum.
All of a sudden, Malott — victorious in eight of his 9 UFC bouts — could discover himself in the cage with a former UFC champion like Belal Muhammad or Jack Della Maddalena next. He’s still a win or two away from a title shot, but he’s formally entered that degree of competitors and can no longer be denied as a contender.
Hope still lives for another UFC champion from “The Great White North.”
For full UFC Edmonton outcomes and play-by-play, click on here.
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