Fast-rising Canadian star Mike Malott is getting his shot at a name in January.
The news coming courtesy of MMA Fighting on Thursday, Malott (10-1) will come to blows with grizzled veteran Neil Magny (28-11) at UFC 297. The two welterweights will battle it out inside of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and the bout will likely be placed on the main card. Malott confirmed the matchup on his Instagram shortly after its announcement.
Winner of six straight – all by stoppage – Malott surged into the Octagon in 2022 and has rattled off finishes over Mickey Gall, Yohan Lainesse and Adam Fugitt in the span of about 14 months. As a professional, “Proper Mike” has only heard the final bell one time, in a draw with Ousmane Thomas Diagne at Bellator 142 in 2015. With 10 wins inside the distance on his ledger, all but one have taken place in Round 1.
Magny has alternated wins and losses in his last six outings dating back to 2022. While he succumbed to submissions from Shavkat Rakhmonov and Gilbert Burns, along with a decision setback against Ian Garry in his most recent appearance, he celebrates triumphs over Daniel Rodriguez, Max Griffin and Philip Rowe in the same stretch. Since joining the promotion in 2013, “The Haitian Sensation” has set the Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUFC welterweight records for the most fights (31), wins (21) and decision victories (14) among several others in his storied tenure.
UFC 297 goes down at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Jan. 20, where there is currently no headliner on board. Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski was once linked for a title defense against Ilia Topuria, but Volkanovski opted to vie for the 155-pound strap on short notice. Key matchups on the billing thus far include a featherweight scrap between Movsar Evloev and Arnold Allen, as well as a middleweight throwdown of Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault.
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