The Ultimate Fighting Championship made a triumphant return to Canada this weekend, bringing a high-stakes night of mixed martial arts action to the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Fans packed the arena and tuned in via Paramount+ as the world’s premier MMA promotion delivered a memorable card filled with explosive finishes, hard-fought decisions, and dramatic turning points.
At the center of the excitement was a thrilling welterweight main event featuring Canada’s own Mike Malott squaring off against the dangerous and explosive American contender Joaquin Buckley. The clash served as the anchor for a packed main card that showcased both elite veteran talent and rising contenders eager to make their mark on the global stage.
Main Card Highlights and Results
The main card, broadcast live on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ET, delivered non-stop action from the opening bell to the final main event finish.
In the headliner, local favorite Mike Malott brought the Edmonton crowd to its feet with a stunning performance against Joaquin Buckley. After a competitive opening frame where both fighters traded significant blows and tested each other’s ranges, Malott found the opening he needed in the second round. At the 2:32 mark of round two, Malott landed a devastating blow that caught Buckley clean, sending him crashing to the canvas and forcing the referee to step in to halt the contest, awarding Malott a monumental knockout victory in front of his home-country supporters.
The co-main event featured a high-level women’s flyweight battle between Jasmine Jasudavicius and top contender Erin Blanchfield. The bout proved to be a technical, grueling affair that tested both athletes across three full rounds. When the final horn sounded, the judges rendered a unanimous decision in favor of Jasudavicius, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 to hand her a hard-fought and prestigious victory.
Earlier on the main card, fireworks erupted in the featherweight division when Cristian Perez met Kyle Nelson. The fight was decisively brief, as Perez uncorked a stunning strike that found its mark immediately. Just 27 seconds into the very first round, Perez secured a spectacular knockout win over Nelson, stunning the arena with his speed and power.
In another explosive clash, veteran welterweight Marc-Andre Barriault stepped into the Octagon to face Kyle Daukaus. Barriault utilized his relentless pressure and heavy hands to overwhelm Daukaus as the opening round drew to a close. With just 32 seconds remaining in the first frame—official time reading 4:28—Barriault landed a barrage of unanswered strikes that forced the referee to wave off the bout, earning the Canadian a decisive technical knockout victory.
The featherweight division was also represented by an intense grappling and striking battle between Timmy Cuamba and Louis Jourdain. Both fighters had their moments of success, but as the fight extended into the championship rounds, Cuamba found a decisive advantage on the canvas. At 2:48 of the second round, Cuamba locked in a tight neck crank submission, forcing Jourdain to tap out and securing a definitive submission victory.
Opening up the main card action, Mandel Nallo squared off against Nate Landwehr in an anticipated lightweight or featherweight catch-weight showdown that delivered instant excitement. Nallo utilized his dynamic striking repertoire to dictate the pace of the fight. Early in the second round, just 47 seconds in, Nallo landed a sequence of impactful strikes that overwhelmed Landwehr, resulting in a technical knockout win to kick off the Paramount+ main card broadcast with a bang.
Preliminary Card Action
The preliminary card, which kicked off at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, set the tone for the evening with a series of competitive matchups and impressive finishes that highlighted the depth of the talent roster.
In the featured preliminary heavyweight bout, Canadian veteran Tanner Boser welcomed Jhonata Diniz to a hostile environment. The heavyweight sluggers traded heavy leather for the majority of the bout, pushing each other into deep waters. As the fight neared its conclusion in the third round, Boser’s conditioning and relentless output began to pay dividends. At 4:26 of the final frame, Boser broke down Diniz, securing a hard-earned technical knockout victory just seconds before the final bell.
The preliminary card also featured a series of slick grappling displays and rapid stoppages. In a middleweight or light heavyweight contest, Nick Galanti wasted little time imposing his will against Julien Leblanc, locking in a tight face crank submission that forced the tap at 1:26 of the first round.
Joel Faglier similarly impressed in his bout against Javad Mahjoub, utilizing effective striking and clinch work to wear down his opponent before securing a technical knockout at 2:11 of the second round.
On the women’s side of the preliminary ledger, Katlyn Cerminara put on a dominant striking display against Mackenzie Stiller. Cerminara controlled the distance and landed clean combinations throughout the opening frame, eventually overwhelming Stiller to earn a technical knockout win at 4:46 of the first round.
In a closely contested bantamweight battle, Steven Koslow demonstrated his grappling prowess against Chad Anheliger. After navigating the early striking exchanges, Koslow transitioned the fight to the mat where he hunted for submissions. In the waning moments of the third round, at the 4:31 mark, Koslow slipped under the chin of Anheliger and locked in a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap just before the final horn.
Chelsea Chandler also showcased her submission skills in her preliminary bout against Melissa Croden. Chandler closed the distance, took the fight to the ground, and quickly isolated an arm. At 4:52 of the first round, she applied pressure to secure a tight kimura submission, ending the fight just eight seconds shy of the opening frame.
Rounding out the preliminary card results, SuYoung You delivered a technical and clinical performance against Cody Chovancek. After wearing down his opponent over the course of three rounds with superior grappling and positional control, You secured a kimura submission at 4:19 of the third round, sealing a comprehensive victory to cap off the early preliminary action in Edmonton.
