Neil Magny believes UFC officials wanted him to lose to Mike Malott: “It was very evident”

UFC star Neil Magny is of the belief that the promotion wanted Mike Malott to beat him at UFC 297.

Earlier this month, Neil Magny went toe to toe with Mike Malott in his homeland of Canada. Their UFC 297 collision was seemingly heading in the direction of a win for Malott, until everything changed in the last round. Magny was able to flip the script, securing a late finished against a visibly tired Malott.

RELATED: Mike Malott issues statement following brutal TKO loss to Neil Magny at UFC 297

It was a pretty surprising result for everyone involved. Malott will now head back to the drawing board, whereas Magny has proven that he’s not quite so easy to walk through.

In a recent interview, Magny spoke candidly about how he thinks the UFC viewed the result.

Magny’s UFC 297 theory

“It’s very evident what’s happening here,” Magny said on The MMA Hour. “I’m fighting a guy who’s undefeated in the UFC, he’s a young up-and-comer, fighting in his backyard. It’s absolutely an opportunity for him to break into the rankings by beating me, and I welcome that kind of adversity with open arms.”

“At the end of the day, that’s just the way that the cards lay, so to speak,” Magny explained. “My last fight, I came up short. For me to get an opportunity to fight someone ranked in the top 10, top five, whatever else it may be, I have to go out there and get another win. Just beating an average Joe wouldn’t really make that big of a statement. I have to go and face some of these up-and-comers that are looking to break into the rankings, so to speak, and I have to do it in very impressive fashion.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

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