UFC Fighter Compares Mike Malott To GSP: 'He Reminds A Lot Of People Of GSP'

After a long time, UFC has found a Canadian fighter to headline an event on his home soil, and that man is 'Proper' Mike Malott. 

The No. 11 UFC welterweight contender will enter his 2nd straight UFC main event on October 17th as he'll take on the No. 8 Joaquin Buckley in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In April, Mike fought a former title challenger, Gilbert Burns, headlining UFC Fight Night in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Malott shined under the bright lights and took an impressive 3rd-round TKO victory over the Brazilian veteran. This performance earned him a $100k bonus and helped him grow his star power to earn an even bigger opportunity this weekend.

The 34-year-old is the first Canadian to headline a UFC main event in the great white north in almost a decade. That's carrying a big legacy because he's succeeding the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald.

Julien LeBlanc Explains Why Mike Malott Has Become A Star In Canadian MMA 

When I spoke to his fellow Countryman Julien LeBlanc, who also fights on the Edmonton card, he had a pretty cool compliment for Mike Malott. Julien explained that Mike's growing star power in Canada can be attributed to his lifestyle and personality being similar to that of the UFC Hall of Famer, Georges St-Pierre.

LeBlanc said:

"Well, I think he reminds a lot of people of the GSP, you know, Georges St-Pierre. So Georges St-Pierre always been a really nice guy, but very good, you know, you don't see Georges St-Pierre in controversy. This guy is like he trains, he does everything right. He's a good guy.

And I think Mike Malott is the same. Mike is a super nice guy. He's very good. Always take care of his body. He eats well. He's not out there partying, you know, like he's not into controversial stuff. So I believe like he's a gentleman, but he's also very good at fighting."

Julien LeBlanc Picks Mike Malott To Beat Joaquin Buckley

In this interview with Combat Sports Fan Page, Julien also broke down the matchup between Malott and Buckley and backed Malott to score the victory.

"I think he's going to win against Buckley. It won't be an easy fight, you know, Buckley is super explosive, and he's dangerous, but I think that Mike, his fighting IQ, Mike is so smart, man. I believe that Mike will get it done with his fighting IQ and with his coach. He has an amazing team, too. So, I'm rooting here for Mike for sure"

The fight between Malott and Buckley has big implications for both men. An emphatic performance can land them right into the title picture at welterweight. 

Julien himself is fighting Nick Galanti in the prelims this weekend. The middleweight was initially supposed to take on Gilbert Urbina, but he had to withdraw for unknown reasons.