Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott Prediction: Can Magny Get It Done at UFC 297?
Neil Magny and Mike Malott meet in the lone welterweight bout on the main card at UFC 297. Can underdog Magny get it done tonight? Ben Rajavuori breaks down this anticipated bout.
Ben Rajavuori
| 5 min
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott Prediction: Can Magny Get It Done at UFC 297?
Neil Magny and Mike Malott meet in the lone welterweight bout on the main card at UFC 297. Magny brings loads of experience into this fight, but Malott is making quick work of his opponents in the UFC and now gets to test his skills against better opposition. The odds have Magny as a big underdog in this fight. Is it justified?
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott UFC 297 Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: January 20, 2024
- Game Time: 10:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: PPV
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott Prediction
Mike Malott looks like the real deal. He burst onto the scene with a first-round submission of Shimon Smotritsky on the contender series back in October 2021 and has not looked back since, winning his first three UFC fights to improve to 10-1-1 in his career. Malott may very well be the best Canadian prospect in the UFC right now and he continues to get better and prove his well-roundedness by winning in multiple fashions, both by knockout and submission.
Malott averages 4.21 significant strikes per minute and he averages 2.53 takedowns per 15 minutes in the UFC. He can truly win a fight no matter where it goes, which is part of what makes him so dangerous. He has knockout power, but he can just as easily take the fight to the ground and get you to tap as well. However, he faces his biggest test in a big step up in competition against Neil Magny on Saturday night.
Neil Magny is an extremely experienced UFC fighter who has been in the promotion since UFC 157 back in 2013, which was over a decade ago. Magny has seen it all and has fought and beaten former title holders, future hall of famers, and all different styles of fighters throughout his 31 UFC fights.
Magny is excellent at using his best weapon, which is his range. At 80 inches, he has an extremely long reach and he has learned to utilize it to frustrate and beat opponents for years. Magny is not a flashy fighter. He only has 11 career finishes in 40 fights. He is a technical striker who uses his reach advantage to keep opponents at bay and touch them up to win on the scorecards. Rarely, he can land a knockout combination, but he never overextends for a finish or puts himself in harms way to hunt a knockout. It doesn't make him the most exciting fighter to watch, but he has gotten many wins in the UFC doing so.
I have to back Magny with this inflated of a line with as much experience as he has. He has truly seen it all, and he has made a long career out of frustrating explosive fighters with his range attacks and keeping out of a firefight. Malott is explosive and has yet to fight longer than six minutes in the UFC. If this fight gets halfway through the second round, Magny will win a decision based on volume and cardio. Malott could finish Magny before then, but Magny has only recently been finished by the cream of the crop, and Malott isn't quite there yet, although his future looks bright. This line just feels a bit wide against the veteran.
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott Pick
Pick: Neil Magny ML +300 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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