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Joaquin Buckley remains undeterred after his third consecutive defeat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Buckley faced Mike Malott in the Canadian’s home country at UFC Edmonton on Saturday. Malott landed a knee in the second round and followed with a punch before the referee stopped the bout. Despite the setback, “New Mansa” remains optimistic about his future.

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Joaquin Buckley plans to document his rebuild after Mike Malott's UFC Edmonton knockout Buckley won six straight fights before his current skid. He now plans to livestream his efforts to rebuild, inviting fans to follow the process.

“Right now, we rebuilding and I want y’all to see the process, not just the results,” Buckley wrote in the caption of his postfight Instagram post. “The highs, the lows, and everything it takes to become who God called me to be.”

In the accompanying video, Buckley said he wants to share his training and introduce fans to his team.

“I realize tha…

Farid Basharat is pushing back against suggestions that he was difficult to work with.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White addressed Basharat’s departure after UFC Edmonton. White suggested there were reasons beyond the unbeaten bantamweight’s results for the decision not to renew his contract, prompting a response.

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Farid Basharat denies refusing UFC fights, cites Victor Hugo weight miss and torn MCL The UFC did not offer Basharat (16-0) a new contract despite his 7-0 promotional record. After White raised difficulties with matchmakers and declined fights as possible reasons for such departures, “Ferocious” reiterated that he had never turned down an opponent and cited instances in which he competed under unfavorable circumstances.

Basharat pointed to his victory over Victor Hugo, who weighed 145.5 pounds for their originally scheduled bantamweight bout in 2024 — 9.5 pounds above the non-title limit. He also said he competed with a torn …

ALL THE ANGLES 😮‍💨 @Michael_Malott timed the knee perfectly to close out #UFCEdmonton! https://t.co/8CCXwMUYVb

— UFC (@ufc) October 18, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's latest trip to Canada saw four fighters earn $100,000 performance bonuses.

In a no-brainer, UFC Edmonton main event winner Mike Malott earned a performance bonus. A well-timed knee knocked Joaquin Buckley out cold and made it an instant knockout-of-the-year contender. It also gave the Canadian his biggest career win. With the win, Malott (15-2-1) has now won five straight inside the UFC.

Two other main card winners also earned bonuses. First off was Mandel Nallo, who wrecked UFC veteran Nate Landwehr. "Mango" won via TKO in the second round after a brutal leg kick and punches. Additionally, Marc-Andre Barriault showed his toughness by knocking out Kyle Daukaus with elbows. The victory breaks a two-fight losing streak for Barriault.

Finally, Joel Faglier took…

CANADA HAS A TOP 10 WELTERWEIGHT 🇨🇦 Mike Malott gets the HUGE knockout in R2 tonight! [ #UFCEdmonton | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] https://t.co/a0d0cFeCOv

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) October 18, 2026

Mike Malott’s patience paid off as he knocked out Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Edmonton at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday night.

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Buckley refused to touch gloves before the fight, setting the tone for a tense opening round. Neither man committed to sustained offense early, but the pace increased in the second, when Malott found the decisive strike.Mike Malott knocks out Joaquin Buckley with second-round knee at UFC Edmonton Malott (15-2-1) brought the crowd to its feet with a knee to Buckley’s jaw midway through the second round, sending the American’s mouthpiece flying. Buckley fell face-first to the canvas, and Malott followed with a punch before the stoppage at 2:32. Buckley dropped to 2…

Sherdog's live UFC Edmonton coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 291. Round 1 Bantamweights kick off festivities at UFC Edmonton, where the undefeated Chovancek (9-0, 0-0 UFC) takes on You (16-4, 2-1 UFC) at 135 pounds. Jason Herzog administers the law and order. They touch gloves and get down to the business at hand. Chovancek switches stances early, turning orthodox against the Korean southpaw. You circles on the outside. Cautious start to this one. You tests the water with an inside leg kick. More circling. You ducks into a single-leg takedown, allows the Canadian to get back to his feet and then scores with a mat return. Chovancek stuck near the base of the fence. You works from half guard and flirts with an arm-triangle. Midway through the round. Chovancek closes full guard. He threads an omoplata and scrambles to his feet, only to get taken down by You again. Ninety seconds to go. You initiates some moderate g…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Canada is now official following the UFC Edmonton weigh-ins.

The middleweight main event will see Joaquin Buckley and Mike Malott clash over five rounds. Ever the professionals, both men had no issue making weight. The same can be said for the rest of the 13-match card, as all 26 fighters hit their marks.

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Buckley (21-8) looks to defend his top 10 ranking inside the promotion. "New Mansa" has struggled recently, with back-to-back defeats to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady derailing his title shot hopes. The 32-year-old will try to get back on track against the Canadian and weighed 170.5 pounds for his third UFC main event.

Meanwhile, Malott (14-2-1) is looking to earn the biggest win of his career in his second UFC headline bout. "Proper" is on a four-fight win streak that includes a TKO victory over Gilbert Burns. At 34, it's now or never for the Team Alpha Male fighter to make a run. M…

Dakota Ditcheva and Jena Bishop face off in the SmartCage after the PFL Women's Flyweight World Championship 🍿 #PFLChicago | Main Card LIVE NOW on ESPN 2 https://t.co/ysS4fjjyVX

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 17, 2026

In August 2025 at the Professional Fighters League World Tournament Finals, Jena Bishop was stopped by Liz Carmouche in the third round. Since then, she has maintained that the stoppage was premature and vowed to avenge the loss.

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In the main event of Friday’s PFL Chicago 2 at Wintrust Arena, Bishop did just that. She survived a punishing opening round and outlasted Carmouche (26-9) in a back-and-forth battle to capture the vacant PFL women’s flyweight championship.Jena Bishop avenges Liz Carmouche loss with 48-47 decision at PFL Chicago 2 Carmouche rocked Bishop with punches in the first and dominated the rest of the round with ground-and-pound, earning 10-8 scores from all three unofficial Sherdog scorers. Bu…

Sherdog's live PFL Chicago coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

A flyweight title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in on Friday, Oct. 16 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.

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Round 1 Featherweights light the fuse for PFL Chicago inside Wintrust Arena, where Hermasillo (1-0, 1-0 PFL) locks horns with Cox (2-0, 0-0 PFL) at 145 pounds. Kevin MacDonald polices the proceedings.Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 HermosilloSean Sheehan scores the round: 10-9 HermosilloMike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Hermosillo Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 CoxSean Sheehan scores the round: 10-9 CoxMike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 CoxRound 3 Could be deadlocked at a round apiece here. Cox steps forward with punches from both hands, then eats an overhand left on the return. Hermosillo circles on the outside, lands a body kick and changes levels, only to be denied of the takedown. Cox using jabs and crosses to keep his counterpart at ba…

Mike Malott has reflected on his career ahead of his Ultimate Fighting Championship main event against Joaquin Buckley.

Malott recalled repeatedly being told while growing up that becoming a UFC fighter was an unrealistic dream. Ahead of UFC Edmonton, he says the headlining opportunity serves as a reminder of how far he has come.

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Mike Malott reflects on childhood doubts ahead of Joaquin Buckley fight at UFC Edmonton Malott headlined a UFC event for the first time earlier this year, defeating Gilbert Burns at UFC Winnipeg in April. He is set for his second headliner, facing Buckley at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Oct. 17.

He recalled being smaller than most of his peers and facing skepticism when he spoke about his UFC ambitions.

“It’s probably kind of odd for people who knew me growing up to see this,” Malott said in a pre-fight interview. “I was kind of the runt of my year as, you know, smaller than like almost every other kid gro…

Ivan Gnizditskiy has secured an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract despite missing his scheduled appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series.Ivan Gnizditskiy signs UFC deal after visa issues derail Contender Series appearance The unbeaten Russian light heavyweight’s manager, Ali Askarov of Crown Sports Management, confirmed the signing to MMA Junkie. Gnizditskiy (7-0) is expected to make his promotional debut in December.

Gnizditskiy was scheduled to face Nell Ariano (6-1) on DWCS Season 10 but withdrew because of visa issues. The 30-year-old has since signed directly with the UFC.

Gnizditskiy has finished all seven of his professional victories, six by knockout or technical knockout and one by submission. He competed twice in One Championship in 2025 before stopping Tursunbek Sodikov in his most recent bout in March.

Charles Oliveira believes Carlos Prates has the tools to dethrone Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev.

Prates is expected to challenge for the 170-pound championship next year. Oliveira, who has fought Makhachev, believes Prates’ knockout power and openings exposed by Ian Garry bode well for “The Nightmare.”

Charles Oliveira believes Carlos Prates can exploit Islam Makhachev's openings with kicks and knockout power Makhachev went the distance against Garry in his first welterweight title defense, with the Irishman enjoying moments of success against the Russian. Oliveira, who trains alongside Garry, believes Prates can capitalize on vulnerabilities revealed during the champion’s last fight.

“I think Garry showed Prates the blueprint,” Oliveira told Sherdog. “I usually say these matchups will be close, but this time, I believe Prates has a real chance to win. Beyond being a sniper, he possesses knockout power and is a black belt in ji…

Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr. have reunited in Las Vegas following their Ultimate Fighting Championship main event.

The two bantamweights recently crossed paths and posed for a photo together. Barcelos remains in Las Vegas undergoing medical tests to determine what caused him to lose consciousness during his stoppage loss to Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121 last month.

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Raul Rosas Jr. shares message of respect as Raoni Barcelos continues medical tests after UFC Vegas 121 Barcelos was ahead on the judges’ scorecards entering the fifth round before losing consciousness during a wrestling exchange. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout, and Rosas Jr. was awarded a technical knockout victory, snapping Barcelos’ five-fight winning streak.

The Brazilian veteran was transported to a hospital for evaluation after being removed from the Octagon on a stretcher. The UFC subsequently confirmed that he was stable, alert and responsive. The 39-year-old later reassure…