This Saturday, October 17, the UFC is hosting a Fight Night event at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. No. 10 Joaquin Buckley faces No. 13 Mike Malott in a five-round Welterweight bout in the Main Event. The Main Card begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Check out my best bets and full breakdown below ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event.
Best Bets for UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott
- Mike Malott Moneyline (-135): Joaquin Buckley still possesses power in his hands, but Mike Malott’s versatility should be the difference in this bout.
- Cristian Perez to Win in Rounds 1-2 (-145): Cristian Perez is an elite finisher, with 10 of his 12 wins by knockout or submission coming in the first two rounds. Perez has the tools to beat Kyle Nelson wherever he wants, and it shouldn’t last long, especially since it’s his UFC debut.
- Kyle Daukaus to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+100): Although Kyle Daukaus is coming off a loss, if he uses all areas of his game, an impressive win against Marc-Andre Barriault is doable.
UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott Best Bets Breakdown
Mike Malott Moneyline (-135)
Rising Welterweight contender Mike Malott is on a four-fight winning streak and now will take on Joaquin Buckley in his first UFC Main Event. Malott is looking to continue his winning ways while Buckley is attempting to get back in the win column for the first time since December 2024.
When facing tougher competition, Buckley has struggled to implement his game plan when the massive power shots aren’t there. In this fight, Malott is three inches taller (6’1″ vs. 5’10”), but Buckley has a three-inch edge in standing reach (76″ vs. 73″). Malott is the all-around better fighter in this bout, landing more significant strikes per minute (4.02 vs. 3.62) while having better striking accuracy (48% vs. 36%) and absorbing fewer strikes (3.09 vs. 3.10).
Malott must be defensively sound, as Buckley is still dangerous and powerful despite coming off two losses. If Malott is the aggressor, he should be able to disrupt Buckley’s rhythm and deliver another good performance. I’m taking Malott to win this fight as the -135 favorite, while Buckley is the +114 underdog.
Cristian Perez to Win in Rounds 1-2 (-145)
Cristian Perez is set to make his official UFC debut against veteran Kyle Nelson on the Main Card at Saturday’s Fight Night. Perez earned a UFC contract after scoring a second-round knockout over Logan Paxton on Dana White’s Contender Series in August. In August 2025, Perez lost to Manoel Sousa on DWCS but returned to the show and got back in the win column. Perez enters this fight with a 15-2 record and has won 12 fights by knockout or submission. Nelson is 1-2 in his previous three contests, and last won in October 2025 against Matt Frevola.
Although Nelson is two inches taller (5’11” vs. 5’9″), Perez has a slight reach advantage (72″ vs. 71″) in this contest. Across his two DWCS appearances, Perez averages 3.30 significant strikes per minute and 2.36 takedowns per 15 minutes. Nelson lands 3.60 significant strikes per minute and averages 1.18 takedowns per 15 minutes.
I believe Perez can break Nelson down with his elite speed, athleticism, and finishing ability. Five of Perez’s last six wins have come in the first two rounds. Also, 10 of his 12 career finishes have occurred in the first or second round. Since Perez is a -340 favorite, I’m taking him to win in Rounds 1-2 at -145. Nelson’s two most recent losses occurred in the first round.
Kyle Daukaus to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+100)
An intriguing Middleweight bout between Marc-Andre Barriault and Kyle Daukaus is on the UFC Fight Night Main Card this Saturday. Daukaus is in his second stint in the UFC and is 4-5 with one no contest in the promotion. From 2020 to 2022, Daukaus went 2-4 with one no contest in the UFC. Over the next two years, Daukaus went 4-0 with three finishes in CFFC, which led to his return to the UFC in August 2025. He started his second run in the promotion 2-0 with back-to-back first-round finishes. But at the UFC’s Freedom 250 card in June, Daukaus suffered a knockout loss to Bo Nickal.
Even though Daukaus is coming off a loss, it was his first since 2022, and he has a good opportunity to turn things around against Barriault, who has struggled recently. Barriault is 1-5 in his last six fights, with his lone win coming over Bruno Silva in that span. In February, Barriault lost to Michal Oleksiejczuk. Barriault averages more significant strikes per minute (5.65 vs. 3.16), but Daukaus absorbs three fewer strikes while being more accurate (53% vs. 47%). Daukaus also has the edge on the ground, landing 1.63 more takedowns per 15 minutes.
Daukaus always gets off to a quick start and usually goes for a finish as quickly as possible. With a two-inch reach advantage (76″ vs. 74″) and being taller (6’2″ vs. 6’1″), Daukaus should be able to use his physical advantage to dominate this fight. 15 of Daukaus’ 17 wins have come by finish, including his previous four victories. For this bout, I’m taking Daukaus to win by KO/TKO/DQ or submission at +100.
