Mike Malott capped his first UFC headlining opportunity in emphatic fashion, finishing Gilbert Burns in the UFC Fight Night 273 main event on April 18 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The victory was described as the biggest of Malott's career and moved his MMA record to 14-2-1, including 7-1 in the UFC. Following the bout, Burns announced his retirement, closing the book on a run as a longtime contender in the UFC welterweight division.
Malott credited a six-month focus on conditioning and cardio for his performance. “I feel like my conditioning and cardio has leveled up like crazy,” he said. “That's something I've focused on a lot of the last six months. I've been recognizing after winning my last fight there was potential I could be in the main event. I didn't want to be caught eight weeks out from a fight considering it then. So I spent six months working on my cardio and conditioning. I felt great in there tonight and felt like I wasn't really breathing heavy in there.”
He called this “without a doubt the most grueling camp I've had in the UFC so far,” describing “wave after wave of fresh opponent on me and shark tanks.”
Malott also paid tribute to Burns, saying, “It was a true honor to share the octagon with him. He has had some of the most badass performances and fights in UFC history. He's a gentleman outside of the octagon. Nothing but the utmost respect to that guy.”
