Mike Malott made sure to embrace the moment on Saturday night.
This weekend, Malott became just the third Canadian-born fighter in history to headline a UFC card in Canada, when he main evented UFC Winnipeg against Gilbert Burns. It was a big moment for Malott, who joins Canadian MMA royalty, Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald, made even bigger by the fact that Malott earned a signature win, stopping Burns in the third round.
Afterward, Malott was emotional in the cage, and he addressed why while speaking with reporters in his post-fight press conference.
“It was incredible, man,” Malott said. “I’ve been so blessed, fighting in the UFC in general, but especially in Canada. The fans always show up for me and let me know that they enjoy what I do. These moments will be cherished by me for the rest of my life. I’m going to look back as an old man one day with a lot of really cool memories.”
Viewed as the future face of Canadian MMA for many years now, Saturday was Malott’s opportunity to make good on that title, carrying a card on Canadian soil, and the fans in attendance were on board with him, on their feet, singing along to his walkout song — “Fat Lip” by Canadian band Sum 41 — and making it a night to remember for “Proper.”
“Oh yeah, man. That was sweet,” Malott said of his walkout. “Take my time. Just make sure these milestones don’t go unappreciated. It’s my first main event. You never know how many fights you get in this sport. I try to treat every one like it’s my last. You never know what happens in life, and I’m just like, look, soak this up. Remember what this crowd feels like and looks like in this arena, smells like. Try to remember as much as you can.
“And they seamlessly started the song again because we were there long enough. I was like, ‘Oh, that was nicely done, boys. Well done in the booth.’ But just things like that. Try to remain present and recognize what’s going on.”
As for what comes next, Malott isn’t picky. Come next week, “Proper” will be firmly in the top 15 of the UFC’s welterweight rankings, with UFC CEO Dana White speaking glowingly of his performance, and the energy the Canadian crowd brings with him. And Malott will be happy to fight whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
“I don’t care. The UFC will tell me,” Malott said of his next bout. “I haven’t picked any of my fights. They’ve just said, ‘Hey, this is who you’re fighting. This is where you’re fighting, and these are the rounds,’ and I’ve said, ‘Let’s go, baby!’”
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