Prediction: Charles Radtke via TKO
Radtke is a patient, composed striker with sneaky, underrated power—especially in that left hook. He doesn’t throw volume for the sake of it; instead, he waits, reads, and commits hard when he sees his opening. That makes him dangerous against opponents like Malott, who tend to rely more on rhythm-based timing rather than layered setups or defense.
Malott is a solid athlete with good skills across the board, but his striking isn’t nuanced. His attacks come straight and fast, but they’re often naked—no feints, little disguise, and minimal setup. He doesn’t use much lateral movement or cage control to force reads out of his opponents. He mostly looks to find the moment to burst in with a straight shot or counter, and while it’s fast, it’s also quite telegraphed once the exchange begins. His chin stays high during combinations, and his defensive reactions are limited when he’s the one moving forward. That kind of exposure is exactly what Radtke looks for. He times entries well, especially when he sees his opponent drop their hands mid-combo—and Malott does that repeatedly.
Malott’s wrestling is the x-factor on paper. He’s physically strong and has a good top game. But the issue is that Malott historically doesn’t lean on his wrestling early. He prefers to trade on the feet, likely hunting for a big shot to hurt or drop his opponent before shooting. That’s a dangerous gamble against someone like Radtke who doesn’t give many openings and can hurt you if you get lazy or predictable with your entries. Radtke commits fully to his counters when he pulls the trigger, and that left hook is particularly sharp against orthodox opponents like Malott who lean in behind long right hands.
Even if Malott chooses to wrestle, he needs to do it from the start and with pace. The longer he waits, the more likely it is that Radtke finds his rhythm and lands something big. And if Malott decides to strike for a round or more before turning to his grappling, it may already be too late—Radtke is not a one-shot KO artist per se, but his shots do real damage, and he doesn’t let hurt opponents off the hook. He’s also shown good enough defensive wrestling to at least make Malott work for every position. If Radtke can defend the early takedowns or keep it standing long enough, his power advantage and cleaner timing should become the story of the fight.