MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC Columbus, a five-round heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus. The event takes place on Saturday, March 26 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Curtis Blaydes (-400)
Blaydes (15-3, 1 NC) is the No. 4 ranked heavyweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old American is 10-3, 1 NC overall in the UFC with five wins by knockout and five by decision. He is one of the top wrestlers in the division and he has been able to take down the majority of his opponents, sans Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou, who both keep the fight standing and beat him on the feet. At this point in Blaydes’ UFC career, we know exactly what kind of fighter he is. He is a grinding wrestler with devastating ground and pound and he can beat almost anyone on the ground. On the feet, Blaydes is improving his technique and he has some power, but his chin can be tested. Still, his wrestling skills are elite, and anytime he can get his opponent to the mat, it’s a long night for them.
Chris Daukaus (+300)
Daukaus (12-4) is the No. 8 ranked heavyweight in the UFC. The 32-year-old American is 4-1 overall in the UFC, with his first four fights seeing him score brutal knockout wins, before losing by knockout to Derrick Lewis in his last fight. Ever since entering the UFC in 2020, Daukaus has proven himself to be one of the top knockout artists in the heavyweight division and he has made a significant move up the rankings in a short period of time. He was super impressive in his first four UFC fights, all knockout wins, before stepping up in competition and losing to Lewis. Although Lewis has the KO power to finish anyone, the fight really wasn’t competitive at all, and it makes you wonder if Daukaus is truly a top-5 heavyweight, or rather someone who is more in that 10-15 range.
Fight Breakdown: For the second straight week, we have a five-round heavyweight bout headlining a card. I understand both Blaydes and Daukaus are big names, but I don’t see this fight needing five rounds, whereas I think Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France should be five rounds since it’s a potential title eliminator. Anyways, getting into the actual matchup itself, it’s essentially a striker vs. grappler matchup, with Daukaus as the striker and Blaydes the grappler. The result of the fight entirely depends on whether or not Blaydes can get the fight to the ground. If he can, I think it’s going to be a pretty clear win for him, but if he can’t, he’ll likely get knocked out. While you can’t completely discount the potential of a Daukaus KO due to his knockout power at this weight class, I still think Blaydes is going to be able to land takedowns and get this fight to the ground. Given it’s set for five rounds, one would imagine that Blaydes would be able to finish the fight. I would lean towards Blaydes taking Daukaus down, landing ground and pound, and finishing him via TKO.
Prediction: Curtis Blaydes
