Mike Malott Stops Gilbert Burns At UFC Winnipeg As Veteran Announces Retirement
One of the greatest victories of his career came on Saturday night, when Mike Malott returned to UFC Winnipeg to challenge veteran contender Gilbert Burns in a major welterweight fight. In his bid to fight in front of a home crowd, Malott employed pressure, power, and composure to win his fight by stoppage in the third round against a former title challenger.
The fight carried major significance for both men. Burns entered the contest hoping to work his way back into the division’s top tier. Malott sought the biggest victory of his life and to cement himself in the welterweight hierarchy.
Round One Starts With Competitive Exchanges
Burns opened the fight in his familiar wide stance and looked to establish early offense with leg kicks. One of them struck low, but Malott soon decided to go on without long rest periods. Malott retaliated by rushing forward and hitting two clean punches. Gilbert answered with an overhand right as both fighters began exchanging powerful strikes in close range.
Burns then tried to bridge the gap to execute a takedown, but Malott scrambled well with a powerful sprawl. The Canadian’s size and reach benefits came into play, and the Canadian was able to land at a distance, leaving Gilbert in more of a defensive position. Malott pressed on toward the end of the round, but neither combatant struck a knock-out blow.
Malott Claims Round Two
The second round was mostly in Malott’s possession, who kept on pressing and setting the pace of the fight. Burns was frequently on the defensive, as Malott’s offense became sharper and more accurate.Â
As the round went on, Burns was seen to be taking in the damage as he attempted to retaliate. When he tried to come in, Malott ran him down with solid combinations. Burns made another takedown, but Malott defended himself again and stopped the veteran from altering the momentum with grappling.
Third-Round Finish Seals Breakthrough Win
This round saw Malott head into the last round. He kept pinning Burns to the fence and drastically decapitating the cage. Burns tried to respond, but Malott responded with a good mixture, which knocked him to the canvas.
The Canadian stayed composed and picked his spots carefully before dropping Burns again moments later. At that point, Malott pursued ground-and-pound until the referee intervened to end the fight, awarding him a third-round knockout.
Burns Retires After Fight
After the fight, Gilbert Burns said that he was retiring from professional mixed martial arts. His career involved a title fight and defeating multiple high-profile fighters, and came to an end.
Burns was considered one of the most rugged and consistently successful fighters of the welterweight division throughout his tenure in UFC. His readiness to take on the best and compete against them on a regular basis brought him respect in the sport.
Significant Moment With Malott
For Mike Malott, the win is a milestone in his UFC career. Beating a veteran like Burns is a big boost to him and might get him a bigger stage in the welterweight division. With the crowd behind him and momentum firmly on his side, Malott may now be entering the most important phase of his career.Â
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