Rivalries: Mickey Gall

Mickey Gall’s tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far can be best described as consistently inconsistent.

The Miller Brothers MMA product will climb into the Octagon for the 11th time when he faces promotional newcomer Mike Mallott as part of the UFC 273 undercard on Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Gall, 30, has alternated wins and losses in each of his past seven appearances. He last competed at UFC on ESPN 31, where he was outpointed by Alex Morono across three rounds on Dec. 4.

As Gall moves ever closer to his confrontation with Mallott, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career:

Phil “CM Punk” Brooks

Gall submitted the former World Wrestling Entertainment and current All Elite Wrestling superstar with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their UFC 203 welterweight showcase on Sept. 10, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Brooks, who spent the last two years training under Duke Roufus at the Roufusport academy in Milwaukee, tapped to the choke 2:14 into Round 1. Gall ducked under the oncoming “CM Punk” and landed a double-leg takedown inside the first 10 seconds. He lit up Brooks with ground-and-pound, passed to side control and ultimately advanced to the back. From there, Gall hacked away with punches, slid his arms into place and secured the choke for the finish.

Sage Northcutt

The Team Alpha Male rep once again fell short of expectations when he submitted to a rear-naked choke from Gall in the second round of their UFC on Fox 22 co-main event on Dec. 17, 2016 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Northcutt bowed out 1:40 into Round 2. Gall neutralized the Texan with takedowns and positional control for much of the first round, achieving full mount in the closing seconds. Northcutt, just 20 years of age at the time, seemed to have the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt reeling with punches in the middle stanza. However, Gall broke out of a clinch and dropped him with an overhand right to the side of the head. He then sprawled out of a takedown, wheeled to Northcutt’s back, laced his legs into a body triangle and cinched the choke. The win moved Gall to 4-0.

Randy Brown

The former Ring of Combat champion improved his stock when he took a unanimous decision from the previously unbeaten Gall as part of the UFC 217 undercard on Nov. 4, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27. Gall had his moments and was particularly dominant in the second round, where he smothered his Jamaican adversary in top position, floated from side control to full mount and fished for submissions. It was not enough to overcome Brown. He leaned on bookend rounds, assumed top position and bloodied Gall with elbows, forearm strikes and hammerfists. Brown spent most of the third round on top, controlling the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and applying his ground-and-pound when necessary.

Mike Perry

“Platinum Mike” leaned on clubbing power punches, airtight takedown defense and surprisingly effective grappling, as he walked away with a unanimous decision over Gall in their UFC on ESPN 12 co-headliner on June 27, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Perry swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks across the board. The Flint, Michigan, native’s pressure and persistence overwhelmed Gall. Perry knocked down the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a thudding right hand in the second round but did his best work in the third, where he pieced together combinations, scrambled into top position, climbed to full mount and unleashed his ground-and-pound before freeing himself from an attempted triangle choke.

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