Mike Malott explains how he leveled up ahead of UFC Winnipeg

Mike Malott is staying course. He's letting the performances do the talking for him, and leaving the rest up to the UFC.

However, in order to perform at his highest level, as he did Saturday when he finished Gilbert Burns in the UFC Fight Night 273 main event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, sometimes Malott (14-2-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) needs to make adjustments on the fly.

For this camp, there was one focus in particular that he thinks he paid its dividends.

"I feel like my conditioning and cardio has leveled up like crazy," Malott said in a post-fight news conference. "That's something I've focused on a lot of the last six months. I've been recognizing after winning my last fight there was potential I could be in the main event. I didn't want to be caught eight weeks out from a fight considering it then. So I spent six months working on my cardio and conditioning. I felt great in there tonight and felt like I wasn't really breathing heavy in there.

"That was without a doubt the most grueling camp I've had in the UFC so far. It was wave after wave of fresh opponent on me and shark tanks and a lot of driving in the gym, sitting in the parking lot for three minutes just like, 'Goddammit, what am I going to go through today? This is going to suck.' But just knowing like, 'Hey man, this might be what you need to do to feel your best on April 18.' That's what's most important and what paid off."

The win Saturday was the biggest of Malott's career. It was his first UFC headliner and almost certainly set him up for a top-contender matchup in the promotion's welterweight division.

"I pour so much of myself into the preparation in this sport," Malott said. "It's been a long journey for me. It feels great getting that release after fighting a tough guy. It's just time to let it all out after a fight and just feel all the feelings."

Matching the trill of victory was the agony of defeat for Brazil's Burns (22-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC), a longtime contender in the UFC welterweight division. Burns announced his retirement after the fight.

"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."

As for what's next? Malott may be from Canada, but he's acting like Switzerland.