UFC Fight Night 273 wrapped up with a welterweight main event between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott, as the Canadian contender scored the biggest win of his career.
Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 273 card was topped by a welterweight clash between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott, where Malott stopped the former title challenger in the third round. The event delivered a major moment for the Canadian, whose finish over a proven name could reshape the next tier of the 170-pound division.
For Malott, this was more than just a main-event win. Beating Burns gives him the kind of resume piece that American fans and UFC matchmakers notice immediately, because Burns has long been viewed as the division’s measuring stick just below the title picture. If Malott can build on this, he moves from rising prospect to legitimate contender talk. If Burns had won, the story would have been about a veteran staying alive in a crowded welterweight race.
That made the stakes obvious going in. Malott needed to prove he could handle five-round pressure and a battle-tested opponent. Burns needed to show he could still halt the surge of a younger, more explosive fighter. Instead, the finish suggested the division may be turning another page.
The rest of the card also produced several notable results. In the lightweight division, Gabe Young edged Thiago Moises by split decision, while Jasmine Jasudavicius earned a unanimous decision over Karine Silva in women’s flyweight action. Jay Herbert stopped Mandel Nallo by first-round TKO, and Charles Jourdain took a unanimous decision over Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight matchup.
Earlier in the night, John Yannis stopped Jamie Siraj in the opening round, and Mark Vologdin fought John Castaneda to a majority draw. JJ Aldrich beat Jamie-Lyn Horth by unanimous decision, Melissa Croden won a unanimous decision over Daria Zheleznyakova, Gohan Sarikam finished Tanner Boser by second-round TKO, Robert Valentine submitted Julien Leblanc in the first round, and Marcio Barbosa knocked out Dennis Buzukja in the opening frame.
Now the focus shifts to what Malott’s breakthrough means in a division that is constantly looking for fresh contenders, and whether the UFC uses this result to fast-track him into an even bigger fight next.
