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UFC Edmonton is this weekend. This means it\u2019s time for Canada\u2019s bi-annual national holiday: Mike Malott Day. That\u2019s where one of Ontario\u2019s own headlines a UFC card no matter where it is in Canada and no matter if it\u2019s multiple timezones away from his hometown (as it is this weekend).<\/p>\n
These Canada cards are trying to make the most out of a shallow talent pool north of the border right now. It\u2019s painful to see that from someone who became so big a fan, and eventually a writer, because of names like Georges St-Pierre, Rory McDonald, Patrick Cote, Sam Stout and Brock Lesnar.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s become a bit of a running joke that Malott has to headline every Canadian card. But, realistically, who is going to replace him right now?<\/p>\n
Joaquin Buckley, who fights Malott in Edmonton, has had a little fun this week. He\u2019s claimed he\u2019s more popular in Edmonton than Malott is. And he\u2019s also made sure everyone knows it\u2019s Buckley vs. Malott, on the poster, and not the other way around.<\/p>\n
Full Send MMA tried to make Malott take the bait on media day, telling him things Buckley has been saying. \u2018Proper\u2019 did his best not to bristle at Buckley\u2019s comments and then delivered some the deadpan Letterkenny<\/em>-like responses you\u2019d expect from him.<\/p>\n \u201cListen man, he\u2019s a great fighter, top ten in the world for a reason,\u201d Malott offered \u2014 politely. \u201cI\u2019m super fortunate to have an opponent for this one that gives me an opportunity to be top ten, but as far as my name and notoriety in Canada; I\u2019ve main evented in Canada without him, he would never main event in Canada without me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in the main event because I\u2019m in the main event for this fight,\u201d Malott continued. \u201cWe just need somebody who is in a position that I can take. And he\u2019s the guy whose spot I\u2019m taking.\u201d<\/p>\n The reporter up there, sorry I don\u2019t know his name, then tried to get Malott to say this was \u201chis card\u201d. Malott agreed, but bashfully, just like any good pond hockey playin\u2019, Tragically Hip listen\u2019, Moosehead drinkin\u2019 boy would. Don\u2019t wanna be takin\u2019 too much of the credit and showin\u2019 anybody up, eh?<\/p>\n That reporter, again \u2014 sorry I don\u2019t know his name, then did what we media types like to do. He took the words he got out of Malott and ran right to Buckley to hear what he has to say about them.<\/p>\n Buckley, the more natural trash talker, jumped on the chance to call Malott an \u201cunknown\u201d, even on home soil.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of guys in Canada really showed me a lot of love and really just put me in a position where it\u2019s really clear that I\u2019m known all over,\u201d Buckley said. \u201cI hold a different kind of weight, when it comes to making me a main event. But Mike Malott, though, it\u2019s just a true story; don\u2019t nobody know you, fam.\u201d<\/p>\n Buckley knows what he\u2019s doing and he\u2019s great at it. But despite how many pleasantries he\u2019s had from people in Canadia<\/em>, the crowd in Edmonton will likely blow the roof off for Malott, like they\u2019ve done in Vancouver, Montreal and Winnipeg.<\/p>\n