UFC Winnipeg: Burns vs Malott – Full Card Analysis

UFC Winnipeg: Burns vs Malott – 4.18.2026 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Malott. The event tonight is in Winnipeg at the Canada Life Centre with plenty ofl talent competing here north of the border. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few. 

Current Record

• Anthony: 102-37-2 (Last Year 331-183-3, 64%)
• Nick: 94-45-2 (Last Year 326-188-3, 63%)

*Fight odds were last updated from bet365 on 4-17-2026 at 7pm EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 6:00pm EST

Jamie Siraj -250 vs John Yannis +200

• Anthony: Opening the event is a fight at bantamweight between John Yannis and Jamie Siraj. This entire card features a number of Canadian fighters that are tough to handicap given their skills and different level of opponents. Siraj does not seem like a trustworthy favorite at -250 odds or worse. It seems that Siraj made this weight cut without issue, but competing at bantamweight does not seem ideal for a fighter that struggles to absorb strikes. Siraj likes to grapple against his opponents and force fights down to the mat. Yannis has struggled with defending takedowns so far throughout his career but this does seem like an athlete that can exploit Siraj a bit here on the feet. Yannis lands good combinations with his boxing and attacking opponents from the southpaw stance. He seems capable of cashing here by landing the knockout but also potentially fighting Siraj to the scorecards. This booking comes on somewhat short notice for both fighters and I am not sure either is in shape to grapple hard for three rounds. This will be an interesting stylistic clash but not a matchup that displays great technique or impressive footwork. I do think Yannis’ power will be what ultimately decides this fight. Bettors should look at other opportunities instead of investing heavily in this first fight of the night. John Yannis by Round Two KO
• Nick: John Yannis is primarily a striker who puts his full weight into his strikes. He throws effective leg kicks and he has solid cardio and durability, but the biggest hole in his game is certainly his defensive grappling ability. He was dominated in his UFC debut, where he was quickly submitted by Austin Bashi. He is 9-4 professionally, and nothing on his resume really suggests he’s a UFC level fighter. His success has come against mediocre regional competition. Jamie Siraj will be making his UFC debut here, with a 14-3 professional record at 31 years old. Siraj is primarily a grappler, with seven of those fourteen wins coming via submission. Siraj returned to professional competition in 2023 after he was sidelined for four years due to a rare disease called Hyper IGE Syndrome. Since his recovery he is 6-1 professionally, and he’ll be moving down to bantamweight for this match-up for the first time since 2019. This an extremely volatile fight given the low level nature of this matchup. The line is far too wide, but I do prefer the Siraj side as the much better grappler in this match-up. I’m not sure either of these fighters are UFC level, but Siraj is dangerous enough with his BJJ that he should finish this fight as long as he can ground it. Jamie Siraj by Round One Submission

John Castaneda -140 vs Mark Vologdin +115

• Anthony: Next is a matchup between Mark Vologdin and John Castaneda. Issues cutting weight on Friday forced this matchup to take place slightly above the limit. My suspicion is that Castaneda was the fighter who could not make the bantamweight limit now at age 34. It will be fun to see how this fight plays out between him and a scrappy fighter like Vologdin. The Russian only earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series because even in defeat, Vologdin was willing to exchange in an epic brawl with Adrian Luna. Vologdin is a stocky fighter that marches forward and lands strikes on his opponents in close. It seems that Vologdin hits very hard for this weight class and does well stacking damage to opponents on their body. I like how Vologdin pressures opponents to the fence so he can really unload his attacks. Castaneda is more technically skilled with his boxing but just as powerful overall. It will also be interesting to see how both wear damage throughout this fight as I view them as rather durable fighters and capable of winning these brawls. Castaneda has the slight edge here in my eyes since he can separate himself using his wrestling. Castaneda does have solid offensive grappling when he elects to use it and Vologdin has shown issues previously when it comes to defending takedowns. I think by fighting smart here Castaneda can take advantage of an opponent that is too overaggressive. John Castaneda by Decision
• Nick: John Castenada does a good job switching stances. He’s a technical striker that manages distance well.  He’s a competent grappler, but he’s certainly most content to stand and exchange on the feet. He’s coming off a hard fought decision loss to a tough out in Chris Gutierrez, and he is now 4-4 in the UFC. Castaneda is dangerous offensively, but his aggressive style makes him vulnerable to counters and it often compromises his gas tank. Mark Vologdin will be making his UFC debut here with a 12-4-1 professional record at 25 years old. He’s coming off a hard fought loss to Adrian Luna Martinetti on Contender Series in which he showed off an incredible chin and outstanding durability. Vologdin is one of only a handful of fighters to be awarded a UFC contract off a loss, but he’s a compact and dangerous striker and he fights at a torrid pace. He’s dangerous offensively, but small for a bantamweight and generally hittable in exchanges. This fight was moved to a catchweight, so Castaneda’s size advantage here will be major. He’s taken on a much better level of opponent, and as tough as Vologdin is he’s likely to be outclassed here no matter where this one goes. John Castaneda by Decision

Jamey-Lyn Horth -165 vs JJ Aldrich +130

• Anthony: This is a fight at flyweight between JJ Aldrich and Jamey-Lyn Horth. It will be a competitive matchup here between these two fighters that tend to get after it on the feet. Horth is the slight favorite in this matchup coming off victories in both of her previous appearances. The Canadian native seems to be bigger and stronger than Aldrich as is usually the case in her fights. Horth is not only strong in clinch positions but also very heavy handed when the fights first begin. I am expecting Horth to land a consistent offense throughout this fight with Aldrich. It will be more difficult for Aldrich to gain respect from Horth and find enough space of her own to work offensively. The moments of this fight when they are in clinch positions, it will likely be Horth landing bigger knees and elbows compared to Aldrich. The benefit of backing Aldrich is that she always seems to move forward and fight hard no matter what, but I am not convinced that this is going to be a fight where Horth ends up getting tired. It will probably be a matchup that goes to the scorecards here and Horth will be landing the more meaningful strikes while targeting Aldrich’s head here nonstop. Jamey-Lyn Horth by Decision
• Nick: Jamey-Lyn Horth is 36-years old, and 9-2 professionally. She is 3-2 in the UFC, coming off an impressive KO win over Tereza Bleda back in December of 2025. She seems fairly well-rounded when you watch her on film, but it’s tough to say she has any singular standout skill offensively. That being said, she is big for the division and her cardio and durability are certainly strengths. JJ Aldrich is 14-7 professionally, coming off a solid win over a tough out in Andrea Lee. She’s big for the division, but it seems she could be a bit past her athletic prime. She can be dangerous on the feet, but she’s hittable in exchanges. She can be heavy on top when she manages to ground her opponents, but her entries for takedowns leave a lot to be desired. These are two similar fighters, so I’ll take a shot on the underdog as value. I have little to no confidence here, but Aldrich has taken a much higher level of opponent and Horth will not have the size and strength advantages here that she typically does in most of her fights. JJ Aldrich by Decision

Melissa Croden -140 vs Daria Zhelenzniakova +115

• Anthony: The next matchup is a women’s bantamweight fight between Melissa Croden and Daria Zhelenzniakova. Both fighters have been very active since joining the promotion and I expect a good fight here between them. The strikers will likely get after it here with their kickboxing early and at bantamweight it would not surprise me to see a knockout materialize. Croden is very confident with her boxing while Zhelenzniakova is a bit more patient and diverse with her weapons. I like that Zhelenzniakova is consistently throwing her offense whether it be at boxing range or further away where her speed and length does give her an edge. Zhelenzniakova also looked excellent defending takedowns and fighting back to her range against Melissa Mullins. Croden will struggle to take this fight to the mat if she does decide that she needs to shoot a takedown. I am not going to bet on this fight at near even odds but it does surprise me to see Zhelenzniakova as a slight betting underdog. Croden is going to be a crowd favorite here but she is also 35 years old with a limited ceiling ahead of her. Zhelenzniakova is the more exciting striker and a better athlete in my opinion. Daria Zhelenzniakova by Decision
• Nick: Melissa Croden has a long frame for the division and she had been taking on a decent level of regional opponent, prior to her breaking into the UFC. She is 1-1 within the promotion, coming off an ugly loss to Luana Santos by decision. She’s relatively well-rounded, with decent but aggressive BJJ if she can drag her fights to the mat. Her striking is far from refined, but she tends to use her length well as a means to force her opponents to fight off their back foot. Daria Zhelezniakova is 30-years old and 10-2 professionally, coming off a decision win over Melissa Mullins in a fight that took place back in June of 2025. Five of Zheleznyakova’s ten wins have come via KO. She’s a powerful striker with a decent understanding of footwork. She does her best work striking at distance and she’s capable of working her way back to her feet if she’s grounded against lower level opponents. This is a low level match-up, but I do see Croden as the rightful favorite. Her size and strength advantages here should allow her to mix in grappling, which has proven detrimental to Zhelezniakova thus far. Melissa Croden by Decision

Gokhan Saricam -165 vs Tanner Boser +130

• Anthony: The heavyweight fight between Tanner Boser and Gokhan Saricam is one I do not think is a very high level matchup whatsoever. Saricam is a decent athlete but not a very big threat at heavyweight. It does seem that he is gaining momentum and pushing for this UFC run now that his contract with Bellator has been concluded. There are very few winnable fights ahead for Saricam but Boser is one opponent that he can likely handle. Boser has only fought once since 2023, beating Vinicius Moreira in a matchup last year at UAE Warriors. He is fighting here in Canada against an opponent that is much bigger and stronger. He has only ever found success competing against heavyweights because they are terrible and he is slightly faster with his hands. However, Boser is undersized for this division and Saricam is an opponent that will likely expose him as such here on the mat. Boser was never a large threat to finish fights with his hands and at this stage of his career nobody should be betting on him. Saricam has good grappling fundamentals and better offensive jiu jitsu than many opponents that Boser has faced. I expect that this fight will end inside of the distance given the early pace we likely see between these two. Boser will be throwing a lot of combinations early while Saricam looks to hurry getting this fight down to the mat. Gokhan Saricam by Round Two KO
• Nick: Gokhan Saricam will be making his UFC debut here, coming in with an 11-2 professional record at 35 years old. Saricam began his career as a boxer, so it is no surprise he prefers to stand in trade in most of his fights. Like many heavyweights, he carries true KO power on the feet. His defensive grappling is more of a weakness than a strength, but offensively he has solid takedowns for a heavyweight. He has taken on a decent level of pre-UFC competition having spent the majority of his career fighting for Bellator. He has decent cardio and durability, and it does seem he’s still improving from fight to fight. Tanner Boser will be returning to the UFC here, after leaving the promotion back in 2023. Boser will be returning as a heavyweight here, but it does seem that light heavyweight would be his more natural weight class. Boser has decent footwork. He’s deceptively quick for his frame and he does a good job moving in and out of his opponent’s range in striking exchanges.  He struggles to work back to his feet if he’s taken down, but he does seem to be actively working on that hole in his game. Boser is tough, but he’s going to be outsized here and I expect Saricam can outclass him no matter where this one goes. Gokhan Saricam by Round Three KO

Robert Valentin -170 vs Julien Leblanc +145

• Anthony: This is a fight at middleweight between Julien Leblanc and Robert Valentin. Leblanc is one of nine Canadians scheduled to be competing on this card. I think it is telling that this fighter so often competing in Canada is still not ranked highly as far as regional fighters go. Canada lacks quality prospects and Leblanc is really not talented at all. A large number of Leblanc’s victories have come against very low level competition. Valentin is the more well-rounded athlete. He seems to be a bit bigger than Leblanc and likely to dominate grappling exchanges. Leblanc has the ability to box against opponents but Valentin does well initiating the clinch and not spending very long sitting in the pocket. Leblanc is also more hittable than Valentin will be as these two exchange. I am expecting this to be a rather clear win for Valentin. This is not a fighter that I would often back with much confidence but I do think he is a few levels above Leblanc right now. Leblanc has a puncher’s chance of winning today but now the odds are starting to reflect that he is up against it. Valentin will likely be able to win here by stoppage inside of two rounds. Robert Valentin by Round One Submission
• Nick: Robert Valentin was the runner up in The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 tournament at middleweight. He is relatively well-rounded, but most of his success comes on the feet. He’s a cerebral muay thai striker, who does a good job landing damaging shots both at range and in the clinch. He’s aggressive in his approach, throwing jumping and spinning attacks both frequently and aggressively. He carries power in all of his limbs, but his hyper aggressive style often sacrifices defense for offense. He takes a lot of damage in exchanges, but he’s generally durable. His takedown defense is somewhat questionable, but he has excellent Judo and dangerous offensive BJJ. As talented as he is on paper, he enters this match-up off three consecutive losses. The good news for him is that this match-up represents a considerable step down for him in terms of level of opponent. Julian Leblanc will be making his UFC debut here, with a 10-2 professional record at 34 years old. Eight of his ten wins have come via finish, but most of his success has come against a comically low level of opponent. Leblanc is a kick heavy striker who can be effective in the clinch. His defensive grappling leaves a lot to be desired, but he does have a decent BJJ base if he can find himself on top. Another low level fight, but Valentin feels like the side here. He’s the much more athletic and powerful striker here and I fully expect this fight to take place at range. If either fighter does grapple, it would likely be Valentin. He should be the better fighter no matter where this one goes. Robert Valentin by Round One KO

Marcio Barbosa -500 vs Dennis Buzukja +380

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a featherweight fight between Marcio Barbosa and Dennis Buzukja. This should be a very exciting battle as is normally the case of Barbosa in his fights. 16 of 17 wins for the Brazilian have all come inside of round one. He is a very explosive fighter with great offensive intuition but Barbosa also leaves himself extremely vulnerable to getting hit by his opponents. Power will be a decisive advantage for Barbosa in this fight but perhaps Buzukja can return fire on the feet if his chin can eat a few strikes. This is by far the more experienced and skilled opponent Barbosa has faced here to date. Buzukja is a live underdog in this spot and likely to win if this fight can get extended into the second round. With the right gameplan, Buzukja can take Barbosa off of his feet to avoid an early brawl here. His wrestling should be good enough to hold down Barbosa given the fact he trains frequently with great wrestlers and grapplers. Buzukja seems to be improving but he can only go as far as his chin allows him in this matchup. He probably will be finished early here but I do not want to overlook his talent at these lopsided odds. The only way to bet on Barbosa is by taking the round one props. Marcio Barbosa by Round One KO
• Nick: Marcia Barbosa is making his UFC debut here, coming off a Contender Series win via KO of Damon Wilson. Barbosa is 17-2 professionally and 27 years old. He’s wildly aggressive, as each of his last nine wins came via first round finish. Barbosa is well-rounded, but lately he prefers to stand and trade on the feet. He does a good job cutting off the cage and pressuring his opponents and the power in his punches can be devastating.  Dennis Buzukja is 12-5 professionally, coming off a hard fought decision loss to Francis Marshall in a fight that took place back in August of 2024.  At his best, Buzukja does an excellent job landing shots out of breaks and if he can close distance here he’s going to be dangerous while countering in chaotic exchanges. That being said, he lacks athleticism and his durability is always a concern as we’ve seen him rocked in many of his fights. The line is a bit wide here, but Barbosa is the much more gifted striker in this matchup. I expect he can quickly close distance here and put damage on Buzukja early. Marcio Barbosa by Round One KO

Main Card- Starts 9:00pm EST

Gauge Young -150 vs Thiago Moises +125

• Anthony: The main card begins with this lightweight fight between Gauge Young and Thiago Moises. This fight will test the ability of Young who looks to make a name for himself in this talent rich division. Moises has been a staple of lightweight for quite some time and yet he is the underdog here in a matchup against Young. The jiu jitsu blackbelt has a decisive edge over anyone on the ground but we have seen that Moises can be exploited in a lot of other areas throughout his fights. Moises is also a fighter that is very inconsistent on the basis of one fight to another. Moises can sometimes fight aggressively using his kicks and pursuing early takedowns while he on occasion will also do almost nothing offensively. Young will bring a fight to Moises today and I think that we will end up getting a decisive winner here before three rounds are done. Young will not be able to escape if he gets trapped in the web grappling Moises and I think he could be overconfident in this spot, using his wrestling a bit too often. Moises has also absorbed a lot of damage throughout his career but Young seems unlikely to really chin Moises or threaten him with a lot of power strikes. Thiago Moises by Decision
• Nick: Gauge Young is primarily a striker, with six of his ten professional wins coming via KO. He is 10-4 professionally, generally athletic, but his defensive grappling does seem to be more of a weakness than a strength. He’s coming off a solid decision win over a tough out in Maheshate, but there is no denying this match-up represents a considerable step up for him in terms of level of competition. Thaigo Moises is a jiu jitsu specialist. He has a black belt under Paulo Streckert and boasts eight professional victories by submission. He was formally ranked as a lightweight, with notable wins over Bobby Green, Michael Johnson, and Alexander Hernandez. His striking is fairly predictable, but he’s a talented grappler who can be dangerous on the mat against anyone. Moises is dangerous offensively, both at striking range and on the mat. That being said, he can be hittable in exchanges and his general wrestling ability seems questionable at best. He’s coming off an ugly KO loss to Jared Gordon, but he is in a more favorable match-up this time around against Young. Moises does seem to be slowing down, but I do still expect he’s the value side in this one. He’s the much better grappler, and decent enough on the feet to hang there til he can take Young down. Thiago Moises by Round Two Submission

Jasmine Jasudavicius -300 vs Karine Silva +240

• Anthony: Next is a fight at women’s flyweight between Karine Silva and Jasmine Jasudavicius. It appears that this is a good matchup for Jasudavicius who competes in her native Canada tonight. Her last fight was a knockout loss against Manon Fiorot in a title eliminator. Jasudavicius will need to rebuild from that performance and hopefully also do fine absorbing strikes after having that bad KO defeat. It is great takedowns and grappling offense that help Jasmine win in each of her fights. She is going to follow a gameplan here and execute well on the mat against Silva who is smaller and less quick to scramble. We have seen a lot of improvements out of Silva but she does still spend a bit too much time on her back. Silva is sometimes capable of wrestling against her opponents but that will not be a path to victory here in this matchup against Jasudavicius. Silva will need to use her fast hands and outside striking to win in this matchup. Jasudavicius figures to at least score a few easy takedowns tonight, making this a rather straightforward pick. Bettors may be concerned about Jasudavicius after suffering that knockout but Manon Fiorot is a much harder hitting fighter than Silva who opposes her tonight. Jasudavicius is one of my most confident picks on the fight card. Jasmine Jasudavicius by Decision
• Nick: Jasmine Jasudavicius is decent everywhere, but she’s found more success grappling than she has striking. Her takedown entries are somewhat predictable, but she’s surprisingly strong for her frame so she’s able to secure them even when her opponents see them coming. She is 14-4 professionally and 8-3 in the UFC, most recently an ugly KO loss to a tough out in Manon Fiorot.  Karine Silva is primarily a grappler and very big for the flyweight division. She has strong hips, decent entries for takedowns, and once she’s on the mat she certainly favors chasing submissions over holding position. She is 5-2 under the UFC banner and 19-6 professionally. Her BJJ is more advanced than many ranked fighters in the division, but she’s running into a difficult stylistic match-up here against Jasudavicius. The line feels too wide here, but Silva doesn’t really have the takedown defense to keep this one standing. Jasudavicius is the better grappler, and I expect that proves to be the difference here. Jasmine Jasudavicius by Round Three Submission

Mandel Nallo -170 vs Jai Herbert +145

• Anthony: This is a lightweight fight between Jai Herbert and Mandel Nallo. It is the promotional debut for Nallo who won a contract last year on Dana White’s Contender Series. Nallo has been a staple of Tristar Gym for quite a while now. This is a 36 year old that could have been competing at the UFC level quite a long time ago. He is a long striker similar to Herbert in terms of his frame and great jab. Nallo is much more offensive minded, battling against opponents and throwing everything into his kicks and big right hands. Herbert is going to be there to be hit against this level of a striker. Herbert has a negative striking differential and only lands with an average 40 percent rate of accuracy. When these two start to extend their combinations and really get after it here with their boxing, Herbert is going to get rendered unconscious but a much better technical fighter. Nallo will use feints to land more against Herbert and set up a finishing sequence by diversifying his attacks to the body, legs and head. Nallo’s aggressive striking and fun kickboxing style make him a candidate to fight at more arena shows for the promotion soon. Herbert seems like the perfect matchup for Nallo to get a highlight victory against in his debut. I am confidently betting on Nallo to win this fight at the current odds. Mandel Nallo by Round Two KO
• Nick: Mandel Nallo will be making his UFC debut here, coming off an impressive Contender Series win via KO of Samuel Silva. Nallo enters the promotion with a 14-3 professional record at 36 years old, having spent the majority of his professional career fighting for Bellator. Nallo is long for the division at 5’10”. He’s extremely aggressive both as a striker and a grappler, with all fourteen of his professional wins coming via finish. He’s a creative striker and does well with an unconventional style, but he can be overzealous at times and thus hittable in lengthy exchanges. Jai Herbert is a former Cage Warriors Champion with decent BJJ, but his most recent wins have come via strikes on the feet. He’s most comfortable fighting in the clinch with a strong muay-thai base, but he’s fairly competent no matter where a fight takes him. He fights well at range, and he carries power in all of his limbs. He’s been inconsistent since his UFC debut, but when he’s at his best he’s capable of putting together well-rounded and impressive performances. This is a volatile match-up, but I do expect Nallo can secure the win here. Herbert seems tentative in most of his recent fights, which will likely prove troublesome for him in this matchup. Mandel Nallo by Round One KO

Charles Jourdain -150 vs Kyler Phillips +125

• Anthony: The co-main event is a great bantamweight fight between Charles Jourdain and Kyler Phillips. Jourdain will be hoping to put on another Performance of the Night here in his native Canada. He has won both of his previous appearances by finishing guillotine chokes. Jourdain is extremely dangerous when it comes to grabbing the neck and finishing his opponents. He seems to have elite finishing instincts and Jourdain really blends his grappling perfectly with a diverse offensive arsenal. Phillips will be challenged here on the feet given Jourdain’s kicks and very explosive weapons. Phillips does well moving and keeping composed in exchanges against more conventional boxers. He could get the better of Jourdain here on the feet but I am not sure that Phillips can keep a pace here boxing at the rate that Jourdain would like to. This fight would really become much easier for Phillips by taking down Jourdain and negating those great offensive attacks. Phillips may be reluctant to shoot on account of that great guillotine but I think this will be a very tough matchup for him to win by fighting on the outside. Jourdain is the rightful favorite in this fight and the much more likely fighter to win via finish here today. Charles Jourdain by Decision
• Nick: Charles Jourdain has flashed knockout power, which was fully on display in his UFC debut against Doo Ho Choi. He throws a wide range of flashy strikes, pushing an excellent pace and controlling the cage against lower-level opponents.  As his time in the UFC has gone on, he’s leaned more on opportunistic BJJ and grappling, and he seems to be entering a new stage of his career after moving down a weight class to bantamweight.  Kyler Phillips throws diverse strikes and does a good job using feints to bait his opponents into powerful shots. Additionally, he is very athletic with solid footwork and scrambling ability. He throws exciting and versatile spinning attacks, but he is also dangerous on the mat as a Carlson Gracie BJJ Brown belt . No matter where his fights go, he seems talented enough to find success against a wide range of opponents. That being said, he does his best work in the first round and he often seems to fade as his fights wear on. Phillips has the skill to bounce back in a big way here, but his cardio is certainly of major concern. A low confidence play, but I’ll side with the underdog hoping he can pace himself here after winning the first two rounds. Kyler Phillips by Decision

Mike Malott -300 vs Gilbert Burns +240

• Anthony: The main event is a fight at welterweight between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott. This is a pivotal career matchup for both fighter who look to retain relevance in title conversations moving forwards. Burns is on a four-fight losing streak and slowly aging his way out of the rankings. Malott has reestablished himself as a complete fighter but the question still remains if he can hang up against the best of the best. Kevin Holland was able to even push Malott hard in their fight last fall in Vancouver. With five rounds scheduled in a main event showcase it is imperative that Malott does not overexert himself. He has not proven capable of fighting for a hard fifteen minutes, let alone going the full distance in a five round fight. This matchup is very interesting because of what it could look like if it does get into rounds four and five. Malott also does not pose a threat grappling to Burns as he does other opponents. There is no area of this fight where Burns will feel uncomfortable against Malott. On the feet Malott is the much faster and more durable fighter but I do not think he has the power to match Burns or even really hurt him. Burns has lost four consecutive fights but they have largely been close matchups against top contenders and former division champions like Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. I think Malott may be one of the few winnable fights remaining in the career of Burns. The Brazilian is now 39 years old and struggling to brawl the way that he used to.  Malott will likely keep a pace here that even Burns is comfortable matching at this age and given his own cardio troubles. There is massive value on Burns here as the betting underdog. Gilbert Burns by Round Four KO
• Nick: Mike Malott has been a coach at American Top Team for years, but he began re-engaging in professional competition after a lengthy hiatus. Since his return, he’s been on a nice run, but most of his wins have come against a questionable level of competition. He’s a dangerous BJJ player, but his takedown entries and overall wrestling base is far from refined.  He is a creative striker offensively, but he often leaves himself open to be countered. Malott is 5-2 in the UFC, most recently securing a controversial win over Kevin Holland in which he landed several illegal groin strikes, Gilbert Burns is an extremely talented grappler with outstanding BJJ ability. His striking has come a long way over the course of his career, but he is looking to ground his opponents in most of his match-ups. He has nine professional wins via submission and seven via KO. He’s been competing against the class of the division, but there is no denying he’s in the twilight of his career. He has lost each of his last three fights, but there is no denying the fact this match-up with Malott represents a major step down for him in terms of level of competition. Burns is close to retirement and his durability is of major concern here. Still, this line feels somewhat ridiculous. Malott doesn’t have the power or advantages of any of Burns’ recent opponents. This is a five round fight, and Malott’s cardio is questionable at best. If Burns is completely done and suffers a KO here I won’t be surprised, but the longer he can extend this fight, the better I think he looks. Gilbert Burns by Round Three Submission

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com