UFC veteran Neil Magny has upset the oddsmakers by finishing Mike Malott at UFC 297.
Malott, the huge -350 favorite, manhandled Magny for the better part of three and a half rounds. "The Haitian Sensation" endured the young gun's offense, however, reversing the tides in the dying seconds of the fight and securing an upset TKO.
Malott took notes from Ian Garry, who defeated Magny handily in 2023. "The Future" invested early in leg kicks against his lanky-legged opponent, making Magny hop in pain before boxing him against the fence. Malott's strategy worked for the majority of the fight before the two welterweights ended up on the ground.
Surprisingly, Malott controlled Magny on the ground, but his cardio would be his undoing. Magny endeavored in the closing seconds of round three, using Malott's exertion against himself and scoring an extremely late TKO.
With this victory, Magny defended himself from receiving his first back-to-back losses since 2013, getting his first knockout victory since 2018. He also defended his #13 welterweight ranking, throwing Malott back to the fringe contenders.
Magny's 'gatekeeper' status is reinforced once again as yet another highly-touted up-and-comer fails to overcome the test.
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