Mike Malott dominated his fight with Neil Magny tonight at UFC 297, right up until the final minute of the round when Magny suddenly turned the screw, taking him down and landing relentless ground-and-pound to secure a TKO finish with just 15 seconds of the fight remaining.
Round One:
Oblique kick from Malott to start. Now a calf kick. Another one lands. Punch and a low kick behind it. Magny looking for a kick of his own in response.
Magny pressures forward with straight punches, but Malott backs out of range. Malott steps into an overhand, but ends up in the clinch. Malott breaks away though.
Missed punches from Malott. Calf kick for him. Oblique kick again. He goes for a head kick that misses and Magny clinches up immediately. Malott does well to end up driving Magny into the cage.
They go back to striking range. Magny crashes forward with a series of straight punches, but most come up sort.
Calf kick for Malott and Magny’s starting to feel those. Counter right and an uppercut from Malott. Another low kick for him. He lands it again. Magny seems a little hesitant here. Another leg kick has Magny hopping gingerly on his leg for a moment.
Round two:
Magny goes for a leg kick thhat’s checked. Hard one-two for Malott. Right hand lands for Magny. Jab for Magny.
Leg kick for Malott. Now he lands one to the body. Straight punches from Magny as he presses forward, but that enables Malott to land a takedown.
Malott looking to pass guard, but Magny stays busy from his back and manages to get back to his feet.
Magny looks to clinch up, but Malott does well to trip him to the mat for another takedown.
Magny trying to fend him off, but Malott manages to settle into half-guard. Magny almost works a reversal but Malott stays on top and then soon after does well to step into full mount.
Malott isolates an arm as he tries to work punches with the other. Magny gets his arms free and grabs on tightly to Malott to try to stifle his offensive opportunities.
Malott trying to isolate an arm again. A few punches land for Malott in the final seconds of the round.
Round Three:
Calf kick for Malott. Magny trying to press forward and get something done, but Malott takes him down. Malott quickly into mount, but Magny gets him back to half-guard and works back to his feet.
Magny pressing Malott into the cage now. Malott able to reverse the position. Malott with a single-leg attempt. Good balance from Magny, but Malott eventually does ground him.
Malott in Magny’s guard. Malott staying patient now. Half the round remaining and he looks to posture up then goes back into his guard.
Magny able to scramble up and immediately go for a takedown of his own. Malott tries to go for a guillotine but Magny slams him to the mat.
Magny working hard here landing punches. Malott threatening with a potential leg lock, but nothing doing. Magny able to move to full mount. Punches for Magny.
All of a sudden Malott is wilting late in the fight as Magny turns up the heat landing more blows! Malott seems exhausted and can’t mount the energy an escape as Magny keeps working ground-and-pound and that’s it, the ref steps in and waves the fight off. Big comeback TKO victory for Magny at 4.45mins of the final round.
Malott had fought so well up to those disastrous moments late in the round, but all credit to Magny for not giving up and delivering what’s likely to be one of the best comebacks we’ll see all year.
