The co-main event of UFC Vegas 48 sees a 195 pound catchweight fight between Kyle Daukaus and Jamie Pickett. Daukaus was originally supposed to take on Julian Marquez but ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ was forced to pull out due to injury. Pickett stepped in on short notice, the main event was rescheduled, and now they’re the co-main event. Daukaus has been building up his name just like his older brother, Chris. Pickett has been getting his UFC career back on track after a rough start with the promotion.
Kyle Daukaus has been on a rough stretch lately. The UFC middleweight has gone 0-1-1 since 2021. He did have a No Contest against Kevin Holland in a fight he was winning, won by submission, and then was turned into a NC after they spotted a clash of heads. Daukaus is known for his kickboxing but has somehow never scored a knockout as a professional. He has plenty of slick submissions and a very good fight IQ.
Jamie Pickett steps in on short notice to fight for the second time in 2022. He started off 0-2 in the promotion before figuring things out and going 2-0 in his past couple of fights. The North Carolina native impressed on The Contender Series and will look to prove he belongs in the UFC. He has a good wrestling base and isn’t afraid to go for the takedown.
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Here are the UFC odds, featuring our Daukaus-Pickett prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Daukaus-Pickett Odds
Kyle Daukaus (-270)
Jamie Pickett (+220)
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How Kyle Daukaus wins the fight at UFC Vegas 48
Daukaus showed many good things in his fight against Kevin Holland and the UFC is looking to figure out where exactly he stands in the middleweight division.
Kyle Daukaus has a well-rounded game and is the favorite in this fight for a reason. The Philadelphia native has slick submissions that could give Jamie Pickett problems as he has a tendency to get caught in them. The opportunity for a finish will come for Daukaus as Pickett has a tendency to shoot for panic takedowns and that can lead to an opening for a submission. Otherwise, he can outstrike Pickett for three rounds. The key for Daukaus will be to avoid getting caught on the bottom and not get hit with any power shots. The most likely method to victory is a submission off of a sloppy takedown.
How Jamie Pickett wins the fight at UFC Vegas 48
Jamie Pickett has a tough task in front of him. He has two wins in a row but the last win was against a UFC newcomer and the one before is a welterweight who is no longer with the promotion and on a losing streak. That being said, this is the fight game and anyone can win on any given night. The lack of knockout threat should give Pickett the confidence to work on the feet and avoid any takedowns that could lead to submissions. He has the longer reach and will need to keep Daukaus on the outside. Footwork and a good jab will be key in order to beat Daukaus at UFC Vegas 48.
Mixing in the ground game will be important but not going for sloppy takedowns in the middle of the cage will be crucial to avoid getting caught. Pickett’s best path to victory is by decision. Pickett rarely gets submissions but he did get many finishes via strikes when he was still fighting on the regional scene. This is a big step up for him and will help determine his ceiling in MMA.
Final Daukaus-Pickett Prediction & Pick
This fight seems quite easy to figure out. Kyle Daukaus has more ways to win than Jamie Pickett. Pickett does have ways to win this fight but doing so without getting caught is very tricky. Anything can happen in this one though. The first round is going to be very interesting. Pickett will most likely come out the more aggressive fighter whilst Kyle Daukaus will look to make adjustments. The fight goes into the second round which leads to a mistake from Pickett and a submission victory for Daukaus. It’s easier said than done but Daukaus has a slick submission game and Pickett tends to leave openings when he goes for random takedowns later in the fight. Daukaus wins by submission in the second round.
Final Daukaus-Pickett Prediction & Pick: Kyle Daukaus wins by submission in the second round.
