5 biggest winners from UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie
UFC 273 looked like it had the potential to be one of 2022’s most memorable shows overall. In execution, it delivered in spades, with some excellent performances up and down the card.
With two UFC titles on the line as well as one of the biggest non-title bouts in some time, there was plenty at stake here, meaning some fighters came away with genuinely huge wins.
Where these fighters go from here is obviously unknown right now, but it’s safe to say that they’ll come away from last night’s event with their reputations massively enhanced.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest winners from UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie.
#5. Mike Malott – defeated Mickey Gall in a UFC welterweight bout
While the likes of Mark Madsen, Aleksei Oleinik and Raquel Pennington all picked up big wins on last night’s undercard, the biggest winner from the preliminary portion of the event was probably UFC newcomer Mike Malott.
‘Proper Mike’ didn’t have that much hype around him coming into his bout with Mickey Gall, probably because his record of 7-1-1 didn’t look all that great. In fact, the Canadian was better known as one of Team Alpha Male’s coaches.
However, after he faceplanted Gall in the first round with a violent combination, it’s unlikely that anyone will be sleeping on him again. Whether he can break into the elite level at 170lbs is another thing entirely, but it’s safe to say that he produced a truly explosive knockout in his debut.
What made him such a big winner, though, was his pledge to give half of his fight purse – around $10k – to the cancer-stricken daughter of one of his teammates.
It was the kind of moment that instantly endeared Malott to the crowd in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s likely that the spotlight offered by last night’s event will mean more money is donated to the cause, too. YouTube star Jake Paul, for instance, has already pledged $10k.
Overall, then, while he didn’t officially receive a bonus award for his efforts last night, it’s clear that ‘Proper Mike’ was one of the event’s biggest winners.