Outside Source
Mike Malott proved he could more than handle the stressors of a top-of-the-ticket assignment in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The burgeoning Niagara Top Team star put away Gilbert Burns with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 273 headliner on Saturday at the Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Malott (14-2-1, 7-1 UFC) brought it to a decisive close 2:08 into Round 3, as he logged the most significant victory of his 17-fight career.
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Burns (22-10, 15-10 UFC) tried and ultimately failed to keep the Canadian at bay with leg kicks. Malott employed bulletproof takedown defense and chipped away at the four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with accurate combination punching. By the time the middle stanza rolled around, damage had begun to build on Burns’ face. Malott dropped the Kill Cliff Fight Club mainstay with a right uppercut and left hook, allowed him to stand, reset and resumed his assault. An overhand right dropped Burns at the base of the cage and signaled to his counterpart that the end was near. Malott then cut loose with punches from both hands until the job was done.
Meanwhile, ex-TKO Major League MMA champion Charles Jourdain outlasted Kyler Phillips to a unanimous decision in their competitive three-round bantamweight co-main event. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Jourdain (18-8-1, 9-7-1 UFC), who has strung together three consecutive victories.
Phillips (12-5, 6-4 UFC) counteracted the Canadian’s frenetic pace and standup weaponry with repeated takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound. However, it taxed his gas tank and provided Jourdain with the openings he needed once fatigue took hold. The Academie Pro Star MMA export uncorked front kicks to the body, flying knees and some stellar dirty boxing at close range. He also carved out a significant gash above Phillips’ left eye, leaned on his get-up game and pressed the issue from start to finish. It was enough to curry the necessary favor on the scorecards.
The 30-year-old Phillips has lost three fights in a row.
Further down the main draw, former Cage Warriors champion Jai Herbert rallied back from the brink to stop Mandel Nallo with punches in the first round of their lightweight showcase. Herbert (14-6-1, 4-5-1 UFC) slammed the door 2:05 into Round 1, netting his first finish since October 2021.
Nallo (14-4, 0-1 UFC) dropped the Team Renegade rep twice with overhand rights but could not close the deal. Herbert turned the tide with a counter right hand, continued to unleash punches during the subsequent scramble and floored the Firas Zahabi protege with a three-shot volley punctuated by a right hook. He then swarmed with punches until referee Jason Herzog had seen enough.
The setback snapped a five-fight winning streak for Nallo.
Elsewhere, Niagara Top Team standout Jasmine Jasudavicius rebounded from an Oct. 18 defeat to Manon Fiorot with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Karine Silva in their three-round women’s flyweight attraction. Jasudavicius (15-4, 9-3 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from the assigned judiciary.
Silva (19-7, 5-3 UFC) countered the Canadian’s takedowns with a hyperactive bottom game and the ever-present threat of a submission. Jasudavicius navigated those dangers, stuck to her game plan and racked up significant control time, particularly in the second and third rounds. She did her best work across the final five minutes, as she executed a takedown and flowed between side control, half guard and the north-south position, all while she activated her ground-and-pound and avoided a Hail Mary buggy choke attempt from Silva.
Jasudavicius, 37, has posted six victories in seven outings.
Finally, Gauge Young called upon volume and variety in largely one-sided standup exchanges to nail down a split decision over former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Thiago Moises in their three-round lightweight appetizer. All three cageside judges turned in 29-28 scorecards: David Therien for Moises, Sal D’Amato and Junichiro Kamijo for Young.
Moises (19-10, 8-8 UFC) attacked the lower lead leg with kicks, completed two takedowns and maneuvered behind the American in the first round, where he threatened with a modified twister and an armbar. Young found another gear in the middle stanza. He pressed forward behind punches, employed a stout jab and shored up his takedown defense. Moises could not keep pace and spent the majority of his time either eating shots or whiffing on takedowns. Gauge floored the Brazilian with an overhand right in Round 3, opened a few small cuts and piled up points with one-twos to the body, sneaky teeps and powerful leg kicks.
Young, 25, has won six of his past eight bouts.
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This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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