Malott's knee flattens Buckley in Edmonton

UFC Edmonton delivered a record-tying 12 finishes, led by Mike Malott's brutal second-round knockout of Joaquin Buckley and Jasmine Jasudavicius's grappling clinic over Erin Blanchfield in front of a home crowd. The UFC used the night to announce its 2027 return to Toronto, while ONE crowned its Tokyo title-defenders and BKFC quietly killed off a division.

Malott steps into a knee, flattens Buckley to crack the top 10

Mike Malott knocked out Joaquin Buckley with a perfectly timed step-in knee at 2:32 of Round 2 in the UFC Edmonton main event at Rogers Place. After a close, respectful first round, Buckley marched forward in the second and walked onto the knee, dropping face-first. It is Malott's fifth straight win (15-2-1, 8-1 UFC) and pushes the Canadian into the welterweight top 10. Buckley, a ranked welterweight who stayed silent all fight week, has now lost three in a row and suffered his first stoppage in nearly four years.

Why it matters: Malott is suddenly Canada's most credible welterweight title hope since Georges St-Pierre, and the finish arrives just as the UFC lines up a Toronto card. Buckley's slide from title-shot contention to a three-fight skid is just as stark.

Jasudavicius outgrapples Blanchfield, wants Silva for the belt

Jasmine Jasudavicius pulled off the biggest win of her career in the UFC Edmonton co-main, outgrappling Erin Blanchfield for a unanimous decision (29-28 across the board). The Canadian scored repeated takedowns, took the back and hunted rear-naked chokes through two dominant rounds before controlling the third. Jasudavicius (16-4, 10-3 UFC) is now 7-1 over her last eight and called for a rematch with new flyweight champion Natalia Silva, who beat her back in 2022. Dana White said the timing of the win helped her title case.

Why it matters: A loss likely ends Blanchfield's title hopes for the foreseeable future, while Jasudavicius joins Alexa Grasso in the queue for a shot at Silva — and a title fight on the Toronto card would be a promoter's dream.

Edmonton ties UFC finish record as four bank $100K

UFC Edmonton produced 12 stoppages on its 13-fight card, tying UFC Serbia for the most finishes in modern UFC history. Malott, Mandel Nallo, Marc-Andre Barriault and Joel Faglier each took home $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses, with every other finisher earning $25,000. Highlights included Cristian Perez's 27-second knockout debut over Kyle Nelson, Nallo's one-sided leg-kick TKO of Nate Landwehr, and Barriault turning a near-finish into a first-round comeback stoppage of Kyle Daukaus.

Why it matters: A near-record finish rate on a Paramount+ card headlined by 12 Canadian fighters is exactly the kind of night the UFC wants as it moves its Canadian numbered events onto streaming in 2027.

UFC books Toronto return for UFC 336 on Jan. 30

The UFC announced during the Edmonton broadcast that UFC 336 will land at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 30, 2027 — its first numbered event of the year and first visit to the city since UFC 297 in 2024. No bouts are official, but Islam Makhachev defending the welterweight belt against Carlos Prates has been rumored as the headliner, with Michael Morales vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov floated for the same card. Michael Chiesa pitched Malott against former champ Jack Della Maddalena in Toronto after the Buckley knockout.

Why it matters: The card marks the point where Canadian fans stop paying pay-per-view prices and get numbered events on Paramount+, and it gives the UFC's suddenly hot Canadian contingent — Malott and Jasudavicius included — an obvious home-soil stage.

Haggerty, Nadaka knock out challengers to retain in Tokyo

ONE Samurai 4 at Ariake Arena delivered a title double-header, both ending in highlight knockouts. Jonathan Haggerty dropped Hiroki Akimoto with a left knee down the middle and swarmed for a third-round TKO to keep his bantamweight kickboxing crown, while Nadaka Yoshinari defended his atomweight Muay Thai title by separating Rifdean Masdor from his senses with a left head kick in Round 2. Both earned $100,000 bonuses from Chatri Sityodtong. The night also featured kickboxing great Takeru Segawa's retirement ceremony and ONE Hall of Fame induction.

Why it matters: Haggerty and Nadaka remain the standard-bearers of ONE's striking divisions, and Takeru's farewell closes the book on one of kickboxing's biggest Japanese draws.

BKFC scraps flyweight division as Dodson chases double gold

BKFC president David Feldman revealed the promotion will do away with its 125-pound division, citing a lack of depth: "We just don't have enough competition to have a full division." The timing is awkward — reigning flyweight champ John Dodson, a former two-time UFC title challenger, was set to fight Jamel Herring for the bantamweight belt at BKFC 95 on Saturday. Feldman says Dodson will be honored as a two-division champ before the flyweight title is retired, meaning a loss would leave the 42-year-old with no belt at all.

Why it matters: Flyweight's perennial struggle for respect in combat sports claims another casualty, and it leaves one of MMA's recognizable names holding a title that is being erased out from under him.

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