Mike Malott made the most of his first impression at UFC 273.
The octagon rookie capped off his debut with a stunning left-hook that planted Mickey Gall face first on the canvas in brutal fashion at just 3:41 in the first round. Afterwards, Malott admitted it’s been a long time coming for him to finally compete in the UFC but he certainly has a lot to celebrate now.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since 2005,” Malott said. “I’ve stayed focused and I’m just so happy that this has come to fruition. It’s pretty surreal.
” This guy is a veteran. I remember being jealous of Mickey when he got signed like why can’t it be me? Tonight .”
it was an honour to be in his cage
There was no feeling out process from the welterweights as both were swinging with heavy leather from the very first exchange with Malott and Gall both landing big shots.
While Malott was definitely landing on target, Gall wasn’t going away because he cracked the Canadian with a stiff shot that actually busted his nose and left blood dribbling down his face.
Unperturbed, Malott continued to throw bombs, while Gall struggled with his head movements, leaving the New Jersey native vulnerable for his opponents’ precise punches.
Malott made Gall pay for his defensive missteps when he connected with Gall’s left, causing him to fall on the ground and crashing to the floor in a heap. Gall was not completely incapacitated, but he did eat a couple more shots and the referee stopped him from continuing the fight.
Following his win, Malott promised to donate his $10,000 show money to a friend’s daughter, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
