UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott DFS Picks & Prop Market Predictions for Saturday, October 17, 2026

The UFC heads north of the border for the promotion’s second Canadian event of the year. UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott takes place in Edmonton and features a heavy dose of Canadian fighters, including 13th-ranked middleweight Mike Malott. He and Joaquin Buckley headline a 13-fight card dominated by North American talent — 24 of the 26 fighters on the card are from the United States, Canada, or Mexico, with only Suyoung You (South Korea) and Jhonata Diniz (Brazil) representing other nations.

Saturday’s event is held at Rogers Place with prelims beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Here are the best props and DFS picks for UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott. Be sure to check out the UFC Fight Night trends and data page for each fight on the card.

Julien Leblanc vs. Nick Galanti – Nick Galanti to Win by Submission in Round 1 (+125)

American grappler Nick Galanti makes his highly anticipated UFC debut on Saturday against Canadian fighter Julien Leblanc, who will be making his second promotional appearance. Galanti arrives after dominating on the regional scene and securing a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series in August. The submission artist now has six finishes across his eight professional wins and now faces Leblanc, who was underwhelming in his UFC debut earlier this year.

The 34-year-old middleweight appeared at the first Canadian event back in April and suffered a first-round submission loss to Robert Valentin. Whether he has improved his submission defense remains to be seen, but facing an elite grappler like Galanti looks like a dangerous proposition. Valentin needed less than half the first round to secure a takedown, take the back, and lock in a body triangle with relative ease. Given Galanti’s submission arsenal, it is hard to imagine this one going past the first round if he gets Leblanc to the mat. Galanti already has four first-round finishes in his young career and will look to add another and make a statement in his promotional debut.

Mandel Nallo vs. Nate Landwehr – Mandel Nallo to Win by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 (+125)

Mandel Nallo left plenty to be desired in his UFC debut back in April, suffering a first-round KO loss to Jai Herbert. The Canadian entered that fight on a five-fight winning streak, having finished all five opponents leading up to his promotional bow. He earned his shot after a stunning first-round KO on Dana White’s Contender Series last season and will now look to bounce back in his second UFC appearance against veteran Nate Landwehr.

The 38-year-old lightweight arrives on a three-fight losing streak, having dropped four of his last five fights dating back to 2023. Landwehr has been knocked out in each of those last three losses and now faces an aggressive Nallo hungry to make amends for his April performance. After 14-plus years as a professional, the wear and tear appears to be catching up with Landwehr. He has been finished five times in his UFC career, and another early stoppage against the Canadian could signal the end of his time in the promotion.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott – Fight to Go the Distance: Yes (+140)

Canadian Mike Malott enters Saturday looking to extend his four-fight winning streak and pick up back-to-back main event victories on home soil. The 13th-ranked welterweight is a slight favorite over 10th-ranked Joaquin Buckley, who arrives on a two-fight losing streak. The American striker has fought just twice since the start of 2025, losing both by unanimous decision, including a five-round bout against Kamaru Usman last summer. Buckley certainly has the endurance for a full 25 minutes, but surviving Malott — who has finished two of his last three opponents — will be the real question.

Buckley is also a legitimate finish threat himself, entering with 15 career KO wins. He has not found a finish since 2024, however, and opponents appear to have figured out how to manage his power and drag him into longer fights. Malott will be well aware of the danger across from him and has the ground and clinch game to limit the punishment coming back at him. Look for the Canadian to fight patiently and grind his way to a decision rather than opening himself up to an early stoppage.

Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott DFS Picks

Country	Player	Opponent	FPPF	Salary
🇺🇸	Katlyn Cerminara	Stiller	53.4	$9,000
🇺🇸	Kyle Daukaus	Barriault	59.1	$8,700
🇺🇸	Joaquin Buckley	Malott	65.9	$7,800
🇨🇦	Kyle Nelson	Perez	46.7	$7,000
🇺🇸	Nick Galanti	Leblanc	–	$9,500
🇺🇸	Steven Koslow	Anheliger	49.6	$8,000

Katlyn Cerminara ($9,000)

Veteran flyweight Katlyn Cerminara headlines our DFS lineup for Saturday, with the 37-year-old taking on UFC debutant Mackenzie Stiller. Cerminara returns to the octagon after two years away following her pregnancy and will look to make one final push up the rankings after contending for the flyweight belt back in 2020. She faces Stiller, who is taking this fight on short notice and moving up a weight class for her promotional debut. The extended time away and changes to her body may be factors, but Cerminara has navigated far greater challenges throughout her career, and her experience should prove decisive against the aggressive young opponent.

Kyle Daukas ($8,700)

Former Contender Series alum Kyle Daukas has had a much more successful second stint in the UFC after struggling in his first run from 2020 to 2022. The 33-year-old finished his first two opponents after returning to the promotion in 2025 before suffering a first-round KO loss to Bo Nickal earlier this year. He now faces seasoned veteran Marc-André Barriault, who is still competing in every fight despite a difficult recent stretch. The 36-year-old Canadian has won just once in his last six fights, though he did push his last two opponents to decisions. Daukas will want to get Barriault out of there early to avoid dealing with the striker’s sneaky power in the later rounds.

Joaquin Buckley ($7,800)

We are taking a shot on the main event underdog in Buckley, who looks underpriced relative to the quality of fighter we know him to be. As discussed in the props section, the 32-year-old is still ranked in the top 10 in the welterweight division despite back-to-back losses, and for good reason. His primary weakness has been his inability to avoid takedowns and the control time opponents rack up against him on the scorecards. He actually out-struck Usman on the feet in his last main event in 2025, but Usman took him down four times and controlled him for nearly 13 of the 25 minutes. If Buckley can limit his time on the mat, there may not be a more dangerous striker at welterweight right now.

Kyle Nelson ($7,000)

Canadian lightweight Kyle Nelson is an interesting underdog on Saturday against young knockout artist Cristian Perez. The lone Mexican fighter on the card makes his UFC debut after finally earning a contract on his second Contender Series attempt and enters as a fairly heavy favorite. Perez’s endurance issues on DWCS, however, suggest Nelson has a clear path to victory. The Canadian kickboxer can use his four-inch height advantage to keep Perez’s power at range, and the longer this fight goes, the more dangerous Nelson becomes. His last two losses came by first-round KO, but the more experienced Nelson has two unanimous decision wins in his last five fights and could push the younger man to his limits in this one.

Nick Galanti ($9,500)

We already outlined the case for Galanti in our best props section, and we are backing it up by adding the card’s most expensive fighter to our lineup. The middleweight is the biggest favorite on the card, and it would surprise many if this one lasts more than five minutes. At $9,500, we are counting on an early finish, though Galanti can still accumulate points through control time and submission attempts if it takes a bit longer than expected.

Steven Koslow ($8,000)

Steven Koslow rounds out our Saturday lineup as the young American returns to the octagon for the first time since 2022. Koslow showed real promise early in his career, going 6-0 with a 100% submission rate before being knocked out in his UFC debut. The now 29-year-old dealt with several significant injuries and surgeries during his lengthy layoff but appears to be in the ideal spot to restart his career against UFC veteran Chad Anheliger. Koslow’s jiu-jitsu background will be central to this matchup, as Anheliger has historically struggled against grapplers. Six of his eight career losses have come by submission, and Koslow looks well-placed to add another in his return to the octagon on Saturday.

Photo Credit: REUTERS