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Mike Malott, Jake Paul and Fans Donate to MMA Coach's Daughter Diagnosed with Cancer
April 10, 2022
Mike Malott had more to celebrate from UFC 273 than just his first-round TKO of Mickey Gall.
In his post-fight interview in the Octagon, Malott used the opportunity to draw attention to the daughter of coach Joey Rodriguez who has been diagnosed with cancer. He asked fans to donate money toward the cause.
The Canadian told reporters that fans inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena began giving him money as he left the arena floor.
Danny Segura @dannyseguratvMike Malott told the media backstage that fans gave him money as he walked out of the arena for his boxing coach's 15-year-old daughter GoFundMe account. ♥️<br><br>She's currently battling cancer. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC273?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFC273</a> <a href="https://t.co/LelR5dikmG">pic.twitter.com/LelR5dikmG</a>
Jake Paul pledged $10,000 as well (warning: link contains profanity).
UFC President Dana White also said Malott wouldn't need to donate his $10,000 in show money since the company would match his entire payout from Saturday night for the Rodriguez's family fund.
The GoFundMe for Angie Rodriguez, who has Stage 3 lymphoma, set an original goal of $50,000. The total donations have nearly doubled that figure, with $95,640 raised so far.
In an Instagram post Sunday, Malott thanked White and Paul for their gestures and said the fans in Jacksonville, Florida, "absolutely blew me away with generosity!"
"Thank you to everyone for helping and donating," he said. "Faith in humanity restored."
The 30-year-old made his UFC debut Saturday. He earned a contract after submitting Shimon Smotritsky in a fight for Dana White's Contender Series last October.