One of the most embarrassing production blunders of the UFC came during the UFC 306 broadcast at the Sphere on September 14, 2024, where former undisputed champ Terence Crawford was mistakenly identified as Kendrick Lamar. Despite moving to a new broadcast partner since then, these live production errors haven’t gone away.
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The recent error occurred during the live broadcast on Paramount+, the UFC’s new home, where tech glitches are now becoming all too common. That trend continued during Saturday’s Fight Night in Winnipeg. In the main event, Mike Malott stepped into the spotlight to face Gilbert Burns, but the promotion stumbled before the fight even began. During Malott’s walkout, the broadcast graphics incorrectly listed him as being from Cleveland, Ohio. Malott is a Canadian, fighting out of Burlington, Ontario, headlining a Canadian UFC event in Winnipeg.
The mishap didn’t affect Malott’s performance. The Canadian welterweight controlled the fight with sharp striking and composure against Gilbert Burns. After a competitive opening, Malott’s jab and combinations began to dictate the pace, while the Brazilian struggled to secure takedowns. Burns had moments, landing leg kicks and a few right hands.
Mike Malott leaves the octagon following the biggest win of his career #UFCWinnipeg 🎥: @CageSideJay
But he couldn’t maintain momentum. As the fight progressed, Malott’s timing and accuracy stood out, consistently beating Burns to the punch. In the third round, Malott turned up the pressure, dropping Burns with a left hook. Despite Burns recovering, Malott knocked him down again with a sharp right hook, followed by a flurry of ground strikes for a decisive TKO win.
While Malott may not even know the mistake UFC made, or decided to overlook it since he won, fans and media members didn’t.
Fans mock UFC for the Mike Malott mistake
Sports writer Adam Martin quickly highlighted the mistake on X. “Uh, that graphic said Mike Malott was from Cleveland, Ohio 🤣🤣🤣,” Martin posted. Interestingly, UFC may have received its information from Wikipedia, which also claims Malott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, whereas he was actually born in Burlington, Ontario. Another user sarcastically mocked the UFC. “I didn’t know Mike Malott was from Cleveland, Ohio,” the user commented.
Someone else poked fun at the situation, pointing out the irony that the event in Canada was seemingly built around Malott’s popularity in his home country—only for the UFC to fumble that narrative. “Mike Malott, in his home country of Canada. Also Born in Cleveland Ohio 🤣🤣 wtf,” the user wrote. The promotion has yet to acknowledge the mistake.
Even the next user couldn’t help but point out UFC’s mistake. “UFC put Mike Malott as being born in CLEVELAND, OHIO during his walkout,” the user wrote. Malott himself hasn’t reacted to the mishap yet.
Meanwhile, the UFC appears to have confused this fan. “Mike Malott is from f—king Cleveland?” the user asked. He doesn’t even train in the United States. He trains out of Ontario, Canada, with Niagara Top Team and at the Burlington Training Centre.
That kind of mistake doesn’t go unnoticed—especially when it happens live during a main event. It raises questions about how such an error slipped through at such a high-profile moment. Whether it’s a case of complacency or just an unfortunate oversight is up for debate, but it’s certainly not a great look for the promotion. What do you think?
