UFC makes its Winnipeg return in April
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Move over Ottawa — the Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming to Winnipeg.
It was announced Friday that a UFC Fight Night card originally slated for the nation’s capital will instead take place at the Canada Life Centre on April 18.
This will be the third time the world’s top MMA organization has made the trip to Winnipeg, and first in nearly a decade.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
The UFC’s Winnipeg debut back in 2013 saw Winnipeg’s own Roland Delorme (right) defeat Edwin Figueroa. The last time Dana White’s travelling circus was in town was in 2017.
The promotion’s last visit was Dec. 17, 2017, for UFC on FOX 26 headlined by Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos. Dana White’s travelling circus made its Winnipeg debut on June 15, 2013, for UFC 161 which featured Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson in the main event. UFC 161 also saw Winnipeg’s Roland Delorme defeat Edwin Figueroa on the undercard.
Headlining in April is Michael Malott (13-2-1) of Burlington, Ont., and Brazil’s Gilbert Burns (22-9-0) in a five-round welterweight bout.
Malott, 34, has won his last three fights and is 6-1 since arriving in the UFC in 2022. Burns, 39, made his UFC debut in 2014 and has lost his last four outings.
Malott is the older brother of Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Malott — who spent 2020-24 with the Manitoba Moose and appeared in one NHL game with the Winnipeg Jets.
“So stoked to find out that I’m the main event for UFC Winnipeg. I can’t wait to represent, put on a show for you guys, and kick some ass,” said Malott in a video posted by UFC Canada.
Malott is set to be the first Canadian-born fighter in a UFC main event since Montreal’s Felicia Spencer lost a five-round decision to Amanda Nunes to close out UFC 250 on June 6, 2020.
The rest of the card is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets go on sale March 6. Fans can sign up for the pre-sale at ufc.com/winnipeg.
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Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
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Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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