UFC Fight Night 291 will go into the record books for its finishes. Twelve stoppages tied UFC Fight Night 283 in August for the modern-era single-event record, according to MMA Junkie’s post-event numbers (compiled with UFC research analyst Michael Carroll). Eleven of those came consecutively, which matched UFC Fight Night 55 from November 2014 for the most in company history. Total fight time for 13 bouts was 1:42:33. That’s a card that barely needed judges.
The night belongs to Mike Malott, and I’ll get to why his knee was the best piece of fighting in Edmonton. The most consequential result, though, was the one fight that required scorecards. Jasmine Jasudavicius beat Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision in the co-main, and that win reshapes the women’s flyweight title picture more than any knockout reshaped any other division.
The knee was an adjustment, and that’s the point
Malott (15-2-1, 8-1 UFC) and Joaquin Buckley spent most of Round 1 kickboxing at range, which is about what you’d expect from two welterweights who respect each other’s power. What matters is that Malott threw a couple of head kicks in that first round. Simon Head wrote for UFC.com that midway through Round 2, Buckley stepped in as Malott started another kick, and Malott changed the strike mid-motion into a knee that met Buckley’s chin. The mouthpiece went one way and Buckley went face-first into the canvas.
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I love that sequence because it rewards homework. Malott spent Round 1 teaching Buckley that kicks were coming, Buckley responded by closing distance when he saw the hip turn, and Malott had the answer ready. Shortening a kick into a knee while your opponent is walking into it takes balance most fighters don’t have at full speed.
The numbers back up the hype. Malott’s five-fight UFC win streak at welterweight is tied for the second-longest active run in the division, behind Shavkat Rakhmonov’s seven. He’s finished 13 of his 15 career wins, six of eight in the UFC. He skipped a specific callout and asked for “Top 10, at least, maybe Top 5” opposition, which feels about right. Book him against someone ranked in the top five.
For Buckley (22-9, 11-7 UFC), the trend is ugly. This is the longest losing skid of his career at three, he hasn’t won since December 2024, and he’s now 6-3 since dropping to 170 in May 2023. All five of his career stoppage losses have come by knockout.
Why the decision mattered more
Jasudavicius (16-4, 10-3 UFC) took Blanchfield down in all three rounds. Each time, per UFC.com, she got to the back and hunted a finish, and each time Blanchfield’s submission defense kept her alive. Jasudavicius controlled the first two rounds, then kept herself out of trouble in Round 3 while Blanchfield pressed the pace.
This is where I’d ask the “lay and pray” crowd to watch the tape before typing. Taking the back of one of the better grapplers at 125 three times in 15 minutes is offense. Blanchfield is a grappler first, and Jasudavicius beat her in her own lane. Those takedowns pushed Jasudavicius to 28 in UFC women’s flyweight competition, second in divisional history to Valentina Shevchenko’s 54.
She’s earned seven of her 10 UFC wins on the cards, so the decision fits her pattern. Blanchfield (14-3, 8-2 UFC) has lost all three of her career fights by decision, so nobody has stopped her, but two judges’ panels’ worth of evidence says the top of the division can outwork her.
Jasudavicius said afterward that the natural next step is a shot at undisputed champion Natalia Silva, whom she’s fought before. Head floated early 2027 as a realistic window. I’d make that fight. Jasudavicius just beat a fellow top-10 grappler cleanly, and that’s the cleanest case for a title shot anyone in the division can make right now.
One more flyweight note from Edmonton. Katlyn Cerminara (19-6, 12-6 UFC) beat Mackenzie Stiller for her 10th UFC women’s flyweight win, second all-time behind Shevchenko’s 12. It was her first stoppage since March 2016, after 11 straight UFC wins by decision. Two different women chased Shevchenko records on the same card.
The rest of the finishing spree
Cristian Perez (16-2, 1-0 UFC), signed off the Contender Series in August, needed 27 seconds to knock out Kyle Nelson in his debut after opening with a strange takedown attempt. Marc-Andre Barriault (18-11, 7-10 UFC) gave up an early takedown to Kyle Daukaus, elbowed his way back up and finished him in Round 1, snapping a two-fight skid. Mandel Nallo moved to 15-0 in wins by stoppage, 15 for 15, against Nate Landwehr, who lost his lightweight debut and now sits on a four-fight skid.
Malott, Barriault, Nallo and Joel Faglier collected $100,000 bonuses, and eight more fighters took $25,000 finish bonuses. The announced crowd of 16,903 produced a $2,206,902 gate at Rogers Place. Favorites went 7-6, and Malott’s win moved favorites to 22-11 in UFC headliners this year.
So yes, the knee will play on highlight reels for years. The phone call that matters, though, belongs to Jasudavicius, and the UFC heads back to Canada for UFC 336 in Toronto. Silva against Jasudavicius on that card would make perfect sense.
