Mike Malott has hands.
At UFC 273, Malott (8-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made quite the first impression when he flattened Mickey Gall (7-4 MMA, 6-5 UFC) with a violent left-hook TKO at the 3:41 mark of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
The fight was Mallott’s first with the promotion. He earned a contract with the promotion after a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. The signing was proved a solid one early. As both fighters threw in an exchange, Malott landed hard on the noggin of Gall, who face-planted to the canvas.
Somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, Gall rolled to his side. Once there, he was met with some follow-up punches from Malott until referee Larry Holsom jumped in and waved off the contest.
MICHAEL MALOTT FOLDED MICKEY GALL 😳 #UFC273 pic.twitter.com/Qv4pv4wenY
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 10, 2022
After the fight, Malott gave a shoutout to a family in need. Team Alpha Male coach Joey Rodriguez’s 15-year-old daughter, Angie, recently was diagnosed with Stage 3 lymphoma (via GoFundMe). Malott said he will donate a portion of his purse to the family as Angie battles the cancer.
With the victory, Malott has won four fights in a row. All eight of his professional victories have come inside the distance with four knockouts and four submissions.
Gall, a fighter who has spent nearly his entire professional career in the UFC, has now lost three of his most recent four fights. UFC 273 marks only the second time he’s been finished as a professional.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 273 results include:
- Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:41
- Aleksei Oleinik def. Jared Vanderaa via submission (neck crank) – Round 1, 3:39
- Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Julio Arce def. Daniel Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
