"It was very evident what the game plan was" - Neil Magny hints that UFC wanted him to lose to surging Canadian Mike Malott at UFC 297
Neil Magny's come-from-behind victory over up-and-coming Canadian welterweight Mike Malott served as one of the most memorable moments from UFC 297, which was underway in Toronto earlier this month.
Magny entered the bout as a +300 underdog against the surging Malott, who was undefeated in the UFC. Malott dominated the first two rounds and the majority of the final frame before 'The Haitian Sensation' pulled off an incredible comeback in the dying seconds of the fight.
With less than a minute left on the clock, Magny took down a fatigued Malott and rained down heavy ground and pound, prompting the referee to step in. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, the UFC veteran recapped his victory and even claimed that the promotion was looking to build the unranked Malott off him:
"When the fight was offered to me and I saw it was in Canada, I saw who the opponent was and all that kind of stuff. It was very evident what the game plan was as far as like promoting goes, but I kind of welcome that pressure with open arms."
Catch Neil Magny's comments below (1.43):
Neil Magny addresses late stoppage claims
Neil Magny turned the tables in dramatic fashion at UFC 297 to come away with the win at UFC 297. Mike Malott was en route to a comfortable and one-sided decision victory but ultimately came up short, with the referee calling a halt to the bout with just 15 seconds left on the clock, much to the dismay of the Canadian fans in attendance.
Referee Kevin MacDonald gave Malott every chance to make it to the final bell, but Magny's ground and pound proved to be too much for the Ontario native. Addressing whether it was a late stoppage, Magny had this to say in the same interview:
''At the end of the day, the sport being what it is, I feel he gave him every opportunity to stay in the fight. If one of those opportunities [were there] had he called the fight too early, then he would have argued.''
Magny added:
''But I feel like it was a good call on the ref’s part to give Mike every opportunity to get himself back in the fight.''