THE APEX TIMES
The UFC’s monthly recap highlighted where it believes the month’s most compelling finishes, standout performances, and best fight unfolded, including a welterweight breakthrough and a submission and knockout award.
UFC’s October 2026 Monthly Report looked back at a card-heavy month marked by finishes, with 65 fights across five events and just under 70% of bouts ending by stoppage. The promotion credited striking finishes in 36 fights and submissions in nine, reflecting a month that leaned heavily into decisive endings.
Among its featured awards, the UFC labeled Mike Malott as the “Breakout Performance” after his UFC Fight Night showing in Edmonton, where it says his knockout over Joaquin Buckley extended his run to a five-fight winning streak and moved him into the welterweight top-10. The report also emphasized Malott’s composure, saying he won the first round on all three scorecards and maintained control rather than looking anxious against a ranked opponent.
For the “Submission of the Month,” UFC highlighted Abus Magomedov’s guillotine choke win at UFC 333 against Nate Diaz (as the report frames Diaz in its stylistic comparison). It credited Magomedov with quickly closing distance, forcing Cam Rowston into a takedown attempt, and finishing immediately with the guillotine after Rowston tried to defend and scramble.
The report’s “Knockout of the Month” went to Julian Erosa’s first-round KO of JeongYeong Lee, which the UFC said came with a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. It described the moment as Erosa weathering early trouble, then meeting a loaded right hand in the center of the Octagon and returning the fight with a decisive right.
Finally, UFC named Yan-Dvalishvili the “Fight of the Month,” portraying the trilogy’s third installment as the most complete of the series. It said Yan’s body shot late in the third round shifted the fight, after which the report credited Yan with being more effective while Dvalishvili continued pressing forward without stopping attempts.