Mike Malott’s biggest career win is drawing sharp criticism for what he didn’t do on the mic afterward.
Malott stopped veteran and former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns by third-round TKO in his first UFC main event at UFC Fight Night 273 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Burns retired on the night of his loss.
During the post-fight interview, Paul Felder asked Malott who he wanted to fight next, but Malott declined to call anyone out. Malott said, "I'm not the guy to call people out – you know me, man," and added, "I try to do it the proper way. I'm just trying to get better every time and pursue growth and greatness, and I feel like I did a pretty good job at that."
Din Thomas, speaking on his show "Deep Waters," argued that Malott missed a major opportunity. "He fumbled the bag," Thomas said. "He fumbled the bag in inserting himself in the conversation of becoming a big star. ... He had a great performance, but you've got to do better than that."
Thomas balanced his criticism with praise for the performance itself. "Let's give him his props," he said. "He styled on Gilbert Burns and had a great performance against Gilbert. He did his thing." Still, Thomas warned about the consequences of a quiet approach: "He got a finish, and he's going to move forward, but then, if not many people are excited about you, you can't complain if you don't get the opportunities."
