Joaquin Buckley's path back to welterweight title contention just got a lot more complicated. The man ranked No. 9 in the division and already carrying a two-fight skid walked into Rogers Place as the favorite and walked out having been knocked out by Mike Malott in the second round of their main event. This wasn't a close one. Malott landed the shot that ended it clean, and Buckley's night was over before he could answer.
For Malott, this is the kind of win that forces the rankings committee to pay attention. Beating a fighter who was one hot streak away from a title shot last year, and doing it by knockout on home soil in Canada, is about as loud a statement as a welterweight can make on a Fight Night card.
The co-main event delivered an even bigger upset. Blanchfield has been one of the sport's top flyweight contenders, and Jasudavicius didn't just beat her, she dominated two of the three rounds. The hometown fighter wasted no time afterward calling for a shot at flyweight champion Natalia Silva, and after a performance like that, it's hard to argue she hasn't earned the conversation.
The rest of the card backed up its billing as one of the more violent nights of the year. Cristian Perez needed just 27 seconds to finish Kyle Nelson in his UFC debut, opening with an Imanari roll before closing the show with a combination that put Nelson down. That's about as impressive a first impression as a prospect can make.
Marc-Andre Barriault turned the tables on Kyle Daukaus, stuffing him with a big knee and finishing by TKO. Timmy Cuamba spoiled Louis Jourdain's long-awaited UFC debut, submitting him at 2:48 of the second round after dragging the fight into deep water on the ground. Mandel Nallo picked up his first UFC win, stopping Nate Landwehr 47 seconds into round two behind patient striking and calf kicks that chewed Landwehr up.
Joel Faglier survived early knockdowns against Javad Mahjoub before turning the fight around and stopping him in the second round, the kind of comeback that tells you plenty about his chin and his composure. Katlyn Cerminara, back in the Octagon after returning from motherhood, finished Mackenzie Stiller at 4:46 of the first round for her first UFC stoppage.
Add it all up and Edmonton produced finish after finish, with a ranked contender knocked out and a sizable underdog making a legitimate case for a title shot. That's a Fight Night card that punches well above its weight.