Mike Malott delivered a statement performance in front of his home crowd, but he made sure the spotlight didn’t stay on him alone.
Malott secured a third-round TKO victory over Gilbert Burns in the main event at UFC Winnipeg, sending fans inside Canada Life Centre into celebration. But the moment quickly turned emotional as Burns laid his gloves down and announced his retirement following his fifth consecutive loss.
Despite the dominant win, Mike Malott showed nothing but respect for the Brazilian veteran.
“It was a true honor to share the Octagon with him,” Malott said. “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.”
The victory didn’t come easy. Mike Malott revealed that his preparation for the fight pushed him to his limits, describing it as the toughest camp of his UFC career.
“That was without a doubt the most grueling camp I’ve had in the UFC so far,” Malott said. “It was wave after wave of fresh opponents on me and shark tanks. I’d be sitting in the parking lot like, ‘Goddammit, what am I going to go through today? This is going to suck.’ But I knew this might be what I needed to feel my best on April 18, and it paid off.”
While Mike Malott celebrated a career-defining win, Burns walked away with his head held high. The former title challenger admitted he entered the fight confident but knew deep down it might be his final outing if things didn’t go his way.
“I was crazy confident I was going to get the win,” Burns said. “I was 1,000 percent confident. But if I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to just collect a paycheck. I gave everything, and if I cannot do it, then I move on.”
Burns closes the chapter on a respected career that saw him compete at the highest level, including a title fight against Kamaru Usman and a war with Khamzat Chimaev. True to his nature, he never ducked a challenge.
“I gave everything to this sport,” Burns said. “If I want to be the best, I’ve got to beat everybody. I tried. I gave my life to this sport, and the sport gave a lot back to me.”
As for Mike Malott, the win is expected to push him into the UFC welterweight rankings. But he isn’t focused on picking opponents or calling shot. He’s ready for whoever comes nex
