In the sporting world, athletes sharing the same surname often create confusion. Fans tend to assume there’s a familial connection between them. The mix-up gets even worse when two athletes with the same name compete in different sports. And now, Canadian UFC star Mike Malott finds himself linked to NHL star Jeff Malott.  

On October 18th, the UFC returns to Vancouver for the first time since UFC 289 in June 2023, featuring a stellar main event between Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen. In the co-main event, Canadian favorite Mike Malott will step into the Octagon in front of his home crowd to take on the always-dangerous Kevin Holland, setting the stage for an absolute barn burner. Also, this fight is a huge opportunity for ‘Proper,’ as a win could finally push him into the welterweight rankings. But before all the action unfolds, let’s find out whether Mike and Jeff Malott actually share a brotherly bond or not. 

Yes Jeff Malott and Mike Malott are brothers – the UFC fighter & the NHL player 

Mike Malott is indeed the older brother of Jeff Malott. For the unversed, Michael Malott was born on November 7, 1991, and is currently 33 years old. On the other hand, Jeffrey was born on August 7, 1996, making him 29 years old. Also, the two share the same parents, Murray and Anne Malott, and were both born in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Yet, despite growing up together, the brothers took very different career paths.  

During his post-secondary education at Dalhousie University, Mike started training under Titans MMA while staying on the East Coast. As the Canadian fighter kept improving his craft, ‘Proper’ made his professional martial arts debut at ECC 12 vs James Saunders and won the fight via submission. Meanwhile, as Mike pursued MMA, his younger brother had distinct choices in sports.   

While growing up in Waterdown, Ontario, Jeff got into several sports like ice hockey, soccer, and basketball. However, during the 2013–14 season, the younger Malott started playing ice hockey in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and quickly realized he was actually good at it. And just like that, his passion for the game eventually pushed him all the way to the NHL—just like his brother made it to the UFC. 

Jeff Malott’s NHL career with Los Angeles Kings & first NHL fight  

As a college ice hockey player, Jeff Malott quickly built a solid reputation with his performances. But the biggest break of his career came on April 8, 2020, when he signed with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, a team affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL. It was a major milestone for Jeff, but the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted things, forcing him to step away from the Moose and join the Florida Everblades of the ECHL in January 2021.  

After a brief period of struggle, Jeff signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets worth a hefty $780,000 for the 2021–22 season. And then, in February 2022, he went viral after scoring a crucial shootout winner against the Chicago Wolves and skating off without any celebration despite the massive moment. Soon after that, Jeff earned a promotion to the Jets’ main roster and made his NHL debut in a 6–4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. 

On July 1, 2024, Mike Malott’s younger brother struck gold. After becoming a free agent, Jeff signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings, which is a pretty lucrative deal by any measure. But that might not even be the biggest highlight of his career, as his first NHL fight ended up stealing all the spotlight.

Jeff even got into a fight at an ice hockey event, proving he truly is the brother of UFC fighter Mike Malott. The NHL left winger threw down with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo on Hockey Night in Canada, which sparked massive reactions—not just across the NHL, but from the UFC world as well. Even his older brother, Mike Malott, couldn’t resist reacting to it. 

Mike Malott’s UFC career & how the brothers support each other  

Although both Malott brothers have been getting into scraps in their respective sports, their brotherly support has always been there. After Jeff threw hands with Carlo on Hockey Night, the UFC star reacted to his brother’s fight and told UFC in an interview, “That was a sick fight. It wasn’t one of those ‘grab the jersey and push each other around for 30 seconds waiting for the refs to jump in’ — Jeff was trying to give that guy a new face; it was awesome.” Well, that’s definitely a supportive reaction from Mike, which extends beyond this interview. 

During the Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche game on October 7th, Jeffery once again got into a heated fight with Josh Manson and went into a full-on brawl before the referee could even separate them. It was definitely a chaotic moment, but Mike Malott seemed genuinely impressed with his brother’s technique. He took to Instagram and wrote, “He’s brother’s a UFC fighter,” admiring Jeff’s fighting prowess. However, as Mike always showed strong support for his younger brother, the reaction from Jeff was just as mutual.

 According to a New York Times article, Jeff spoke about his brother being a popular UFC fighter and said, “It’s pretty wicked for him to be able to represent Canadian MMA like that on a stage like that. He’s pumped, and we’re all pumped for him. He’s only getting better. MMA is a crazy game where every fight gets harder and harder. He’s done such a great job handling that. And we’re all so proud of him.”  

Mike and Jeff’s constant support for each other’s careers serves as real inspiration for siblings chasing success in their own paths. That said, do you think the Canadian superstar will bring that same positive energy into the Octagon against Kevin Holland in the UFC Vancouver co-main event? Let us know in the comments below.