Preview: UFC 297 ‘Strickland vs. Du Plessis’

Welterweights

Mike Malott (10-1-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. #13 WW | Neil Magny (28-11, 21-10 UFC)

ODDS: Malott (-340), Magny (+270)

The UFC seems to be getting behind Malott as one of their rising Canadian stars, and it’ll be interesting to see if “Proper” can make good on the promotion’s high hopes. Malott’s a fighter that’s taken years of work to become an overnight sensation, as he made his professional debut all the way back in 2011. He wasn’t front of mind as a top prospect heading into his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, owing to an inconsistent schedule. Even Malott’s performances didn’t portend any sort of great run. He showed an ability to find some quick and dynamic finishes in his regional fights, but his overall approach felt aimless in a way that figured to stall out at the UFC level. However, things have clicked so far. While Malott doesn’t seem to have a consistent approach, the craft in his game shines through. He has remained a lethal submission artist, and while Malott isn’t quite proactive on the feet, he’s able to uncork some impressively powerful strikes when presented the opportunity to exchange. There’s a practiced potency to Malott’s game that opponents figure to scout and outmaneuver at some point, but it still looks to carry him fairly far in the welterweight division. Regarding how far, it’s now up to an eternal gatekeeper in Magny to see where the Canadian stacks up among the 170-pound elite.

Magny’s been a going concern in the welterweight division since an amazing run that spanned 2014 to 2016. “The Haitian Sensation” managed to cram 11 fights into a shade over two years, winning 10 and landing just outside of the championship picture. That’s about where Magny stood for the next few years, separating the wheat from the chaff when it came to who was ready for title contention. Magny’s approach has historically been tricky but effective. He has a long frame that he uses to frustrate opponents from range, and once they close ranks, he can usually drag them into a deceptively exhausting clinch game that can allow him to grind out a decision. If an opponent can beat Magny handily in one of those two phases, it tends to blow the whole thing wide open; and there is some concern that he might be slowing down as he enters his late-30s. It was nice to see Magny step on the gas and pressure a few fights ago, but there’s now some worry that his pivot might be out of necessity as his typical approach becomes less effective. Magny should still continue to find wins as long as there are opponents willing to meet him head-on and fall into his traps, and it’s unclear if Malott is one of those guys. There isn’t much of a sense of Malott as a fighter that consistently game plans, but he also does seem willing to stay at range by default and let his opponent bring the fight to him. That probably sets up fairly well against this current version of Magny, as the American seems to be the more willing fighter to lead and put himself in some danger as a result. Perhaps that’s enough to make this fight exciting, as it otherwise could set up as a tepid range striking match. The read is that Malott can stay patient and pick his spots while outmaneuvering Magny. The pick is Malott via decision.

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Strickland vs. Du Plessis
Bueno Silva vs. Pennington
Malott vs. Magny
Curtis vs. Barriault
Evloev vs. Allen
The Prelims