Joaquin Buckley looks to end a two-fight skid when he headlines UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott in Edmonton on October 17. The American welterweight meets Canada’s Mike Malott, who arrives on a four-fight winning streak in front of his home crowd at Rogers Place.
Buckley Needs a Statement Win
Buckley, 21-8, built a six-fight win streak after moving back to welterweight in 2023, beating Colby Covington, Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque along the way. He then dropped back-to-back decisions, first to Kamaru Usman, then to Sean Brady at UFC 326. He currently sits inside the welterweight top 10, a spot a third straight loss would put at real risk after two deflating decision losses against two of the division’s toughest wrestlers. A win, on the other hand, would put him back within reach of the division’s top five, and would mark his first three-fight swing back toward contention since his run through Covington, Thompson and Luque.
Malott Rides a Four-Fight Streak at Home
Malott, 14-2-1, is from Fonthill, Ontario. He has won four straight since a TKO loss to Neil Magny in early 2024, a run that includes a decision over Trevin Giles, a knockout of Charles Radtke, a win over Kevin Holland and a third-round stoppage of Gilbert Burns in April, his biggest win to date. He sits just behind Buckley in the rankings, around the number 12 spot, and carries a 5-1 record fighting in Canada. Malott is fighting in his second UFC main event, and a dominant win over Buckley would put him squarely in the welterweight top 10, a goal he has stated openly ahead of fighting at home in front of a sellout crowd expected at Rogers Place.
A Deep Card Built Around Canada
The co-main event pairs two ranked women’s flyweights, Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius, in a bout both camps see as a direct route back toward a title shot for the winner. Canada’s Marc-André Barriault meets American Kyle Daukaus at middleweight, and Louis Jourdain, brother of UFC veteran Charles Jourdain, makes his octagon debut against American Timmy Cuamba at bantamweight. The card also features Kyle Nelson against Mexico’s Cristian Pérez at lightweight and Mandel Nallo against American Nate Landwehr in the same division. On the preliminary card, Canada’s Tanner Boser meets Brazil’s Jhonata Diniz at heavyweight, Julien Leblanc takes on American Nick Galanti at middleweight, and Javad Mahjoub faces American Joel Faglier, also at heavyweight. On the women’s side, Katlyn Cerminara meets Mackenzie Stiller at flyweight, while Chad Anheliger against Steven Koslow and Melissa Croden against Chelsea Chandler round out the bantamweight action.
Ticket Demand and What’s at Stake
The UFC confirmed the Buckley-Malott main event over the summer, and ticket demand in the Edmonton area built quickly in the weeks that followed. UFC Fight Club members got early access first, followed by newsletter subscribers the next day, ahead of the general on-sale through Ticketmaster, which was capped at eight tickets per person. That rush reflects how much interest Malott’s hometown main event has generated, in just his second turn atop a UFC card. A win keeps Buckley’s title aspirations alive and likely earns him another ranked test early next year, while a third straight loss would push him toward a rebuilding stretch outside the top 10. For Malott, beating a name as established as Buckley in front of his own fans would be the clearest signal yet that his four-fight streak is more than a run against lower-ranked opposition, and it would make him a legitimate factor in the welterweight title conversation heading into 2027.
How to Watch
The card takes place at Rogers Place, the home arena of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and a venue the UFC has returned to several times over the years. Early prelims stream on UFC Fight Pass, preliminary fights begin at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT, and the main card follows at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Paramount+. In Canada, the broadcast runs across Sportsnet and TVA Sports. The event lands in the middle of a busy fall stretch for the UFC, with several more cards on the schedule before the end of the year, including additional ranked matchups across multiple divisions.
