The Ultimate Fighting Championship is officially making its much-anticipated return to the Great White North, delivering a fight card that is thoroughly saturated with Canadian competitors from top to bottom. As the promotion touches down in Alberta, local fans will have no shortage of homegrown talent to cheer for throughout the evening. The main event features a pivotal top-15 welterweight clash between Canada’s own Mike Malott and heavy-handed veteran Joaquin Buckley. For Malott, this high-profile matchup represents an opportunity to secure the most significant victory of his professional career in front of a partisan home-country crowd. On the other side of the Octagon, Buckley enters hostile territory eager to halt a frustrating two-fight skid and re-establish himself among the division’s elite.
Co-headlining the event is an equally compelling women’s flyweight showdown between top-tier contenders Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius. With the division constantly shifting, a decisive victory for either woman could very well propel her into the next-in-line position for a title shot. Beyond the marquee bouts, the remainder of the lineup is stacked with Canadian competitors, guaranteeing an electric atmosphere inside the arena as the local crowd rallies behind their compatriots.
The entire event is scheduled to air live on Paramount+, with preliminary action kicking off at 5 p.m. ET. Ahead of the opening bell, Combat Press writers Matt Petela and Andrew Sumian sat down to preview the action, debate the stylistic matchups, and offer their official fight predictions for what promises to be an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts.
The Welterweight Main Event: Mike Malott vs. Joaquin Buckley
With Mike Malott having successfully rattled off four consecutive victories inside the Octagon, the central question heading into the main event is whether the Canadian can make it five in a row while performing in front of a friendly home-country audience. However, the analysts are deeply divided on how the stylistic matchup will play out over the course of the evening.
Andrew Sumian takes a critical view of Malott’s trajectory, arguing that the Canadian welterweight has yet to truly prove himself against elite competition. Pointing out that Malott’s recent wins have largely come against lower-tier talent or fighters well past their prime, Sumian contends that it should not have taken three rounds to finish a 40-year-old Gilbert Burns. At 34 years of age, Sumian believes Malott’s ceiling is limited and that he will likely never challenge for the welterweight title. Instead, Sumian views this main event as an ideal "get-right" fight for Buckley, whose recent losses came at the hands of elite grapplers like Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman. Armed with thunderous knockout power that can end a fight at any moment, Buckley is expected to capitalize on his vast experience against superior competition and finish the Canadian via a second-round technical knockout.
Matt Petela offers a contrasting perspective, acknowledging the immense danger that Buckley poses with his explosive speed and devastating striking power in both his hands and legs. Noting Buckley’s ability to maintain that power deep into a contest—such as his knockout of Stephen Thompson late in a fight—Petela emphasizes that Malott must remain defensively responsible for the entire duration of the bout. From a technical standpoint, however, Petela gives the edge to Malott, noting that the Canadian rarely leaves major openings, maintains his balance, and avoids putting himself out of position. Comparing Malott’s methodical approach to a classic Floyd Mayweather style of touching an opponent without absorbing damage, Petela believes the Canadian will frustrate Buckley, drain his gas tank by the championship rounds, and ultimately navigate his way to a disciplined decision victory.
The Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
The co-main event offers another layer of intrigue as Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius square off, with both fighters looking to rebound from recent losses to top contender Manon Fiorot and reinsert themselves firmly into the title-contender picture.
Petela highlights the magnitude of the spot for Jasudavicius, competing in the co-main event in front of a passionate Canadian crowd against a formidable opponent. According to Petela, the matchup hinges entirely on whether Jasudavicius can successfully keep the fight standing. If Blanchfield manages to secure takedowns, a submission victory is likely; however, if Jasudavicius utilizes her solid striking fundamentals and maintains proper positioning, she can frustrate Blanchfield and force a methodical kickboxing match. Petela predicts Jasudavicius will successfully defend the takedowns, edge out the contest on the feet, and earn a unanimous decision victory that will send the arena into a frenzy.
Sumian, while expressing admiration for the upset pick, remains steadfast in his belief that Blanchfield’s disciplined skill set will ultimately prove too much for the Canadian to overcome. While acknowledging that a victory for Jasudavicius would inject fresh life into the division, Sumian envisions a focused and methodical performance from Blanchfield that culminates in a third-round submission finish.
Fighters on the Ropes and Sleeper Matchups
As with any major UFC card, several athletes enter the Octagon with their organizational futures hanging in the balance. Discussing whose career might be on the ropes, Sumian points toward veterans Marc-André Barriault—who has dropped five of his last six bouts—and Nate Landwehr, who has suffered three consecutive knockout losses. Sumian leans toward Landwehr due to his age, though he emphasizes that a victory is vital for both men to secure their long-term UFC roster spots. Petela points to Katlyn Cerminara, noting that an extended layoff since early 2024 combined with a two-fight skid leaves her with little margin for error. However, Petela ultimately predicts that Cerminara will draw upon her experience to deliver a revitalized performance and earn a crucial bounce-back victory.
Looking for the premier sleeper matchup of the night, Petela highlights the bantamweight clash between Chad Anheliger and Steven Koslow, noting that Koslow’s recent first-ever professional defeat will serve as a fascinating test of his resilience and growth. Sumian opts for the heavyweight collision between Tanner Boser and Jhonta Diaz, predicting an absolute "Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em" barnburner that is all but guaranteed to end in a spectacular stoppage before the final bell.
When the discussion turns to potential "Performance of the Night" bonuses, the analysts diverge once again. Sumian backs Kyle Daukaus to secure a clean submission finish and a well-deserved bonus check, while Petela doubles down on Tanner Boser, predicting that the heavyweight will feed off the energy of the Canadian crowd to make short work of Diaz and earn a post-fight incentive.
Complete Fight Card Predictions
The evening features a robust schedule split between the main card and preliminary bouts, with both analysts offering their definitive picks for every matchup on the lineup.
For the main card, Sumian selects Joaquin Buckley to defeat Mike Malott in the welterweight headliner, while Petela sides with the Canadian. In the women’s flyweight co-main event, Sumian picks Erin Blanchfield over Jasmine Jasudavicius, whereas Petela predicts Jasudavicius will pull off the upset. In the lightweight division, both analysts agree on Cristian Perez defeating Kyle Nelson. At middleweight, Sumian picks Kyle Daukaus over Marc-André Barriault, while Petela goes the other way with Barriault. In the bantamweight division, both writers back Louis Jourdain to defeat Timmy Cuamba. Rounding out the main card at lightweight, Sumian selects Mandel Nallo, while Petela picks Nate Landwehr.
The preliminary card features an equally competitive slate of bouts, opening with heavyweight action where both Sumian and Petela agree that Tanner Boser will emerge victorious against Jhonta Diaz. At middleweight, Sumian picks Nick Galanti, while Petela selects Julien Leblanc. In the heavyweight division, both analysts pick Javad Mahjoub over Joel Faglier. For the women’s flyweight matchup, both writers lean toward Katlyn Cerminara to defeat Mackenzie Stiller. In the bantamweight division, both pick Chad Anheliger over Steven Koslow. In women’s bantamweight, both analysts favor Melissa Croden against Chelsea Chandler. Finally, in the bantamweight preliminary opener, both writers select Cody Chovancek to defeat Soo Young Yoo.
