Mike Malott is set to headline UFC Winnipeg against Gilbert Burns, marking a significant moment in his career. A win could elevate Malott's status as a championship contender, while Burns aims to prove he still has the skills to compete after four consecutive losses.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - OCTOBER 18: Mike Malott prepares to face Kevin Holland in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Rogers Arena on October 18, 2025 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Mike Malott, youāre just the third Canadian everāalong with Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonaldāto headline a UFC event in your native country, youāre itās current best hope to contend for a championship, and youāre expected to dominate a longtime welterweight contender or see your hype train be derailed forever.
No pressure.
Saturdayās UFC Winnipeg headliners have no illusions about what this fight means to them; for Malott, a win over Gilbert Burns would by far be the most meaningful of his 17-fight pro run; for Burns, heās out to prove thereās still something left in the tank after losing his past four fights and that heās not just a stepping stone for the current generation of welterweight stars.
Objectively speaking, tonightās card is on the weaker side if weāre comparing it to the UFCās usual non-numbered road show fare, but the stakes at the top of the card couldnāt be higher for Malott and Burns at this stage of their careers.
In other main card action, Charles Jourdain continues his resurgent bantamweight campaign when he fights Kyler Phillips, Bellator veteran Mandel Nallo makes his long-awaited UFC debut as he takes on Jai Herbert in a lightweight contest, flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius looks to bounce back from a streak-busting loss as she fights Karine Silva, and lightweight veteran Thiago Moises faces Gauge Young.
What: UFC Winnipeg
Where: Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
When: Saturday, April 18. The seven-fight early preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET, followed by a five-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET. The entire event streams live on Paramount+.
The fight is crucial for Mike Malott as a win over Gilbert Burns could solidify his position as a top contender for the championship.
Gilbert Burns has lost four consecutive fights leading up to UFC Winnipeg.
The only other Canadian fighters to headline a UFC event are Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald.
UFC Winnipeg is scheduled for October 18, 2025.
Former Texas guard Jordan Lee joins SEC rival South Carolina
Gophers' Brooklyn Rowray takes NCAA Balance Beam title with 9.9625!
Masataka Yoshida is making a strong case for more playing time with the Red Sox amid an outfield logjam.
A father and son set off at 3 a.m. for the Copa final in Sevilla, donning special jerseys.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
Letās not harp too much on whether this could be the end of the line for Gilbert Burns. He turns 40 in July, heās been through countless wars, and heās in the worst slump of his career. But letās allow Burns to tell us when heās done rather than nudge him out the door.
Now, Mike Malott, weāve got a lot to talk about here.
At 34, Malott is no spring chicken himself, so thereās a healthy amount of urgency here if the Ontario native ever hopes to fight for a UFC title. His lone loss inside the octagon came against perennial contender Neil Magny and now Malott gets another chance to prove heās worthy of a top 15 spot. Malott is the definition of the modern UFC welterweight, well-rounded with decent athleticism and power in his hands.
The key for Malott will be neutralizing Burnsā grappling and turning this into a striking battle. Yes, Malott can do some damage on the ground himself, but heāll be at a disadvantage if they roll for an extended period of time and even with five rounds to work, Malott canāt afford to fall behind early.
Iām picking Malott because I think Burns has entered the āheās doing well until he isnātā phase of his career, joining the likes of Israel Adesanya, Tony Ferguson, and far too many others. Malott will catch him and score a knockdown or two, and probably even threaten a finish, en route to a statement decision win.
Pick: Malott
I swear thereās still time for Kyler Phillips to be a UFC champion.
Look, I get it. He hasnāt been active enough (10 fights in six years isnāt going to cut it). He hasnāt been consistent. Itās been a while since heās really wowed fans with a performance. Maybe Iām still hanging on to how he started his UFC career as opposed to the fighter he is now. I donāt know.
Then thereās the uncertainty surrounding Charles Jourdain. At featherweight, Jourdain showed plenty of flashes of talent, but never put together a consistent run and by his own admission, he didnāt always take his preparation seriously. Now at bantamweight, heās picked up two finishes over respected veterans Davey Grant and Victor Henry, and thereās a chance heās the Canadian contender we should really be keeping an eye on.
This matchup is closely lined and for good reason. Phillipsā boxing makes him a threat to beat anyone at 135 pounds (yeah, I said it!) and he has an underrated ground game, but Jourdain has also shown heās comfortable trading strikes or snatching necks (his past three wins have all come by guillotine choke).
I have Phillips by decision even though I know Iām living in the past.
Pick: Phillips
Better late than never for Mandel Nallo.
You donāt see a lot of lightweights make their UFC debuts at the age of 36, but thatās the situation Canadaās own Nallo finds himself in as he enters the octagon for the first time against English veteran Jai Herbert. At a glance, Nalloās do-or-die results (zero decisions to date) would have you think heās a reckless berserker Ć la Terrance McKinney, but thatās not the case. Nallo fights with plenty of patience and is more of an opportunist when it comes to hunting for finishes.
And boy, is he good at taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. The former Bellator standout has an almost preternatural ability to sense when his opponentās defense is ready to crack and he exploits it to the fullest; on the flip side, he can be overly patient and that might not fly against a striker of Jai Herbertās caliber.
āBlack Country Bangerā is the perfect matchup for Nallo, similar in age and overall experience, and someone who will oblige if fans are expecting a standup duel. Herbert is on a five-fight streak of going to the cards, so Iām curious to see if he takes a more strategic approach or ups the tempo to catch Nallo off guard.
Nallo needing the judges feels wrong, so Iām picking him to land a knockout blow before the halfway mark of the fight. āRat Garbageā forever.
Pick: Nallo
Jasmine Jasudaviciusā knockout loss to Manon Fiorot was a huge letdown, but weāre not counting her out just yet.
Even if you donāt think Jasudavicius is the most skilled fighter, she brings a level of intensity that is difficult to match. Aggression and pace can take you a long way in MMA, and Jasudavicius has made the most of it, outworking the likes of Jessica Andrade, Mayra Bueno Silva, and Ariane da Silva. She just needs to protect that chin better.
That shouldnāt be a huge concern against Karine Silva, who has primarily been a grappler in her UFC career. Thatās not to say Silva canāt be dangerous on the feet, but Jasudavicius should have less to worry about than she did against Fiorot when it comes to closing the distance in this matchup. So it will come down to who can be busier and I favor Jasudavicius to work her way out of some sticky situations and win positions while dishing out ground-and-pound.
Jasudavicius by decision.
Pick: Jasudavicius
This could be a frustrating fight for Thiago Moises. As experienced as Moises is, heās never been known for being the speediest lightweight, to put it kindly, and thatās a problem because Gauge Young is all about sticking and moving and just generally being a pest. And I mean that as a compliment!
Moises is at his best when he can dictate the pace and draw opponents into his web. Heāll have to rely on guile to trap Young, who has great footwork and a wicked jab thatās the foundation of a steady boxing attack. Weāll find out early if Moises has studied enough tape to prevent Young from controlling the distance, because if he doesnāt have a plan, Young is going to pick him apart for 15 minutes.
Young also knows his way around a sprawl, so how exactly does Moises win this? Well, Iām picking him, because Iām guessing he can force the action and eventually get a hold of Young and wrestle him to the ground, where Young will be stuck. It wonāt be pretty and Moises will likely have his nose bloodied, but heāll also wear Young down and snag a submission before itās all said and done.
Pick: Moises
Preliminaries
Marcio Barbosa def. Dennis Buzukja
Julien Leblanc def. Robert Valentin
Tanner Boser def. Gokhan Saricam
Melissa Croden def. Daria Zhelezniakova
JJ Aldrich def. Jamey-Lyn Horth
Mark Vologdin def. John Castaneda
Jamie Siraj def. John Yannis