Welterweight gatekeeper Neil Magny delivered an early entry for Comeback of the Year at UFC 297.
Stepping into enemy territory against Canadian fan favorite Mike Malott, things looked dire for Magny in the early going as he ate a series of brutal calf kicks in the opening round. Things did not improve in the second with ‘Proper’ controlling the action on the ground following a successful takedown attempt. Malott managed to mount Magny and reigned down a series of strikes. Magny’s defense allowed him to survive the onslaught and make it out of the round.
Clearly behind on the scorecards, Magny pushed the pace in the third, pressing Malott against the cage and scoring a much-needed takedown. With his opponent beginning to fatigue, Magny poured it on. Moving into mount, the ‘Haitian Sensation’ dropped a series of uncontested strikes as the clock continued to tick.
With only seconds left, Malott was unable to do anything other than cover up and attempt to absorb the strikes Magny was delivering. That was enough for the referee to step in and call for the stoppage with only 15 seconds to go in the contest.
Official Result: Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via TKO (ground and pound) at 4:45 of Round 3.
Check out Highlights From Neil Magny vs. Malott at UFC 297:
Neil Magny gets the finish with SECONDS to go
#UFC297 | @NeilMagny pic.twitter.com/ILsi0wwff6
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
