“My ego wanted that big finish, that big pop; I wanted to be ‘The Man’ again,” admitted Malott, who scored a unanimous decision victory to get things moving in the right direction again. “I’ve had a couple fights where it felt like I was one of the biggest standouts on the card, and Edmonton, that definitely wasn’t the case. I felt like another guy who won on the card, but I knew it was the medicine I needed.
“I think that long term, had I had the option to press the button where it’s ‘you knock him out in the first minute’ or, especially after the Toronto fight, ‘you get 15 minutes of cage time, build up that experience and get comfortable in the Octagon,’ I would have to press the ‘win by decision’ button again, get that extra experience.
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“Had I been able to finish him in the last minute, that would have been perfect — the best of both worlds,” he added with a laugh. “Not the big, fun fight, big performance — it’s funny, when I was leaving, I was like, ‘F***! That’s it? That’s all I get to feel?’ It was nothing compared to what I normally get, but for long-term growth and improvement, it’s what I needed.”
While highlight reel finishes and roaring ovations had been the norm for Malott early in his UFC career, those victories came in relatively quick fashion, which can be a double-edged sword. As much as everyone wants to get in and get out as quickly as possible whenever they step into the Octagon, there is no substitute for experience, and you can only learn how to handle stressful, challenging situations by going through them in real time.
Until last year, Malott hadn’t faced much adversity in the UFC, and he hadn’t accrued many rounds either, as his Contender Series victory in October 2021 and his first three appearances produced 14 minutes and one second of cage time. He eclipsed that mark in January against Magny and did so again with Giles in November, which has him heading into Saturday’s showdown with Radtke feeling infinitely more prepared for whatever this weekend’s fight presents.
