Mike Malott reveals the key change that fueled his biggest UFC win yet

Mike Malott is keeping his head down and letting his performances speak for themselves. After a statement win over Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC Fight Night 273 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Canadian welterweight is leaving the matchmaking decisions in the UFC’s hands.

Still, Malott knows success at the highest level requires constant adjustments. To perform the way he did on Saturday, he made one major change during training camp that he believes made all the difference.

“I feel like my conditioning and cardio has leveled up like crazy,” Malott said in a post-fight news conference. “That’s something I’ve focused on a lot over the last six months. After winning my last fight, I realized there was a chance I could end up in a main event. I didn’t want to be eight weeks out from a fight and only then start thinking about it. So I spent six months working on my cardio and conditioning. I felt great in there tonight and didn’t feel like I was breathing heavy at all.

“That was without a doubt the most grueling camp I’ve had in the UFC so far. It was wave after wave of fresh opponents on me, shark tanks, and a lot of sitting in the parking lot for three minutes before practice thinking, ‘Goddammit, what am I going to go through today? This is going to suck.’ But knowing, ‘Hey man, this might be what you need to do to feel your best on April 18,’ that’s what mattered most, and it paid off.”

The win on Saturday was the biggest of Malott’s career. It was his first UFC main event and almost certainly earned him a matchup against one of the division’s top contenders.

“I pour so much of myself into preparing for this sport,” Malott said. “It’s been a long journey for me. It feels great to get that release after fighting a tough guy. After a fight, it’s just time to let it all out and feel everything.”

On the other side was the disappointment of defeat for Brazil’s Burns, a longtime welterweight contender, who announced his retirement after the fight.

“It was a true honor to share the octagon with him,” Malott said. “He’s had some of the most badass performances and fights in UFC history. He’s a gentleman outside of the octagon. I have nothing but the utmost respect for that guy.”

As for what comes next, Malott is content to let the UFC decide.

“I don’t care, man,” Malott said. “The UFC will tell me. I haven’t picked any of my fights. They just say, ‘Hey, this is who you’re fighting. These are the rounds.’ And I say, ‘Let’s go, baby.’”