Malott Knees Buckley Into the Top-10 Conversation, Jasudavicius Shocks Blanchfield

Edmonton got the finish it came for. In the main event at Rogers Place, Canada's Mike Malott caught Joaquin Buckley with a knee to the chin at 2:32 of round 2 and ended one of the most violent nights of the year.

Thirteen fights. Twelve finishes. Only the co-main went to the judges, which meant no Fight of the Night bonus, so the UFC handed out four Performance of the Night checks instead.

Main event: Mike Malott def. Joaquin Buckley (KO, knee, R2 2:32)

Buckley was the slight betting favorite and the more experienced UFC fighter. Malott had home ice and a plan. He threw head kicks early that Buckley blocked, and kept walking him onto strikes. In round 2, the knee landed flush and Buckley's mouthpiece left the building before he did.

The numbers that matter:

• Five straight wins for Malott, now 15-2-1.
• Three straight without a win for Buckley.
• $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus for Malott, his fourth.

Buckley skipped fight-week media. Malott said afterward that the silent treatment never got to him. It showed.

The Counter's read: This is the win that moves Malott from "fun Canadian prospect" to ranked welterweight. Expect him in or near the top 10 when the rankings update. Buckley, a few fights removed from calling for a title shot, now needs a rebuild fight, not another contender.

Co-main: Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Erin Blanchfield (UD, 29-28 x3)

The upset of the night, and the only fight that went the distance. Blanchfield came in as the favorite and the decorated grappler. Jasudavicius beat her at her own game, holding top position for most of the first two rounds and threatening submissions. Blanchfield won the third, but not by enough.

The Counter's read: Blanchfield was supposed to be one win from a title shot. Now Jasudavicius has the biggest win of her career, and the flyweight contender line just got reshuffled.

The rest of the card, fast

• Cristian Pérez knocked out Kyle Nelson in 27 seconds. Fastest finish of the night.
• Marc-André Barriault came back to stop Kyle Daukaus with elbows in round 1 (4:28). ($100K bonus.)
• Mandel Nallo stopped Nate Landwehr with a leg kick and punches in round 2 (0:47). ($100K bonus.)
• Joel Faglier rallied to stop Javad Mahjoub in round 2 (2:11). ($100K bonus.)
• Timothy Cuamba submitted Louis Jourdain with a neck crank in round 2.
• Tanner Boser stopped Jhonata Diniz late in round 3.
• Nick Galanti submitted Julien Leblanc with a face crank in round 1 (1:26).
• Katlyn Cerminara stopped Mackenzie Stiller in round 1.
• Steven Koslow choked out Chad Anheliger late in round 3.
• Chelsea Chandler also won by stoppage on the prelims.

What's next

Saturday is UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, and it's a big one: Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against undefeated Movsar Evloev (20-0), and Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3 for the bantamweight belt. Free preview Thursday. Breakdown and picks Friday, on the record as always.

Read the feint. Call the counter.