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Curtis Blaydes returns to face Chris Daukaus in the main event of UFC Columbus. The two heavyweights are looking to get into the title conversation in the heavyweight division. Blaydes is known for his wrestling game and he's very honest about doing whatever it takes to win the fight and take minimal damage.
Daukaus is a knockout artist that the UFC is clearly very high on. Daukaus is still hunting for an elite win whilst Blaydes is looking to finally earn a title shot after finding himself on the outside for years. The fight has many interesting aspects to it with Daukaus being a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and having knockout power. Blaydes has let everyone know his game plan and there are many fighters who have failed to stop him. Columbus, Ohio has a very exciting main event on its hands.
Curtis Blaydes is starting to go down as one of the greatest heavyweights to never get a title shot. The wrestler has found himself in terrible spots throughout his UFC career. Blaydes met Francis Ngannou early on in his UFC career. He was knocked out by Ngannou once he became a big contender. Blaydes then found himself on the outside as Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic took years to complete their trilogy, and he recently took a big knockout loss to Derrick Lewis. Blaydes is now looking to make sure no one uses his name to climb up the rankings. His suffocating wrestling game means his style will age well and be a problem for anyone. He's looking to take out Chris Daukaus to get his name back in the title conversation.
Chris Daukaus is looking for an elite win in the division as he looks to move on from the prospect label and into the contender phase of his career. Daukaus is also coming off of a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis. That fight derailed his opportunity to become a title contender. The fight doesn't tell us a whole lot as Lewis has huge power and even good chins get cracked against Lewis. Daukaus is well-rounded but is known for his big power. He holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu and has a ground game that flies under the radar. The fight against Curtis Blaydes has a lot at stake as this is going to test Daukaus' skills. Does he have the power to crack Blaydes? Is he dangerous from the bottom? Blaydes has only lost to two fighters in his career and both are known for their crazy power. Daukaus has a big opportunity ahead of UFC Columbus.
Here are the UFC odds, featuring our Blaydes-Daukaus prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Blaydes-Daukaus Odds
Curtis Blaydes (-405)
Chris Daukaus (+320)
Over 2.5 rounds (+102)
Under 2.5 rounds (-130)
How Curtis Blaydes Wins The Fight At UFC Columbus
Curtis Blaydes has an obvious game plan for every fight. His wrestling is a huge weapon and he uses it to suffocate his opponents. Blaydes has very little interest in the standup part of fighting and uses his kickboxing to help him find takedowns. It can be dangerous as his knockout loss against Derrick Lewis came after he tried to get a takedown, he got hit with a huge uppercut and was out instantly. Blaydes does have an excellent chin though and his only losses have come against those with big power.
Chris Daukaus has knockout power which means Blaydes will not be looking to keep the fight standing up. Blaydes is going to look to get Daukaus down and drag him into the deep waters. The jiu-jitsu from Daukaus is going to be an interesting factor. The fight is either going to go the distance with Daukaus getting frustrated and tired on the ground or Blaydes fining the TKO later on.
How Chris Daukaus Wins The Fight At UFC Columbus
Chris Daukaus is an interesting fighter to look at. He has been doing really well in the UFC but has yet to prove himself at the highest level. Daukaus is no slouch on the ground and that will be an interesting factor as he deals with being on the bottom against Curtis Blaydes' wrestling style. Keeping the fight on the feet and looking for openings to land big punches is going to be key for the former police officer.
Daukaus' ground game is going to play a big part in keeping the fight on the feet and the first round is going to be very interesting. The best path to victory is finding the knockout as the fight plays out standing up. There will be openings and looking to exploit them is going to be important. Daukaus needs to find the TKO before the championship rounds.
Final Blaydes-Daukaus Prediction & Pick
This is a very tricky fight to figure out. The odds are quite crazy with Blaydes being a huge favorite over Daukaus. Blaydes is the better fighter at this point in his career and his wrestling is a problem for just about everyone. Daukaus has the power to make the fight interesting and things should be close while the fight off the ground. Blaydes is going to be relentless about getting the fight down where he is most comfortable.
Blaydes has the experience and a great fighter. There are questions about his chin but he has only lost once by true knockout and that came against one of the hardest hitters in the division. The first round is going to be a huge factor in determining who wins the fight. The longer the fight lasts, the better Blaydes' chances.
Final Blaydes-Daukaus Pick: Curtis Blaydes wins by technical knockout in the third round.
