Kyle Daukaus
Vitals
The Read
Daukaus is a long, submission-first grappler — twelve of his seventeen wins are taps, most of them chokes, which is how he earned the 'D'Arce Knight' nickname. At 6'3" with a 76-inch reach he is big for the division, and his game is built on closing distance, getting to the body and finishing on the mat rather than out-pointing people on the feet. His striking defence is the soft spot: UFC numbers have him absorbing nearly as much as he lands, and his three career losses on the feet came against power punchers (Roman Dolidze, Eryk Anders) who caught him before he could grapple.
His career arc is unusual. After a 2-3 (1 NC) first UFC run — including the famous accidental clash-of-heads No Contest with Kevin Holland in 2021 — he was let go in early 2023, reset on the regional circuit, and reclaimed the Cage Fury (CFFC) middleweight title with four straight wins. The UFC brought him back in 2025 and he made it count: a 43-second KO of Michel Pereira and a 50-second D'Arce choke of Gerald Meerschaert, running his overall streak to six. Against Bo Nickal this is grappler-versus-grappler with a stylistic twist — Nickal is the decorated wrestler who wants top position, Daukaus is the submission hunter who is dangerous off his back and in scrambles, so the open question is who imposes their grappling and whether Daukaus's chin holds if it stays standing.
Next Fight
Record
Tap any fight for the breakdown.
Win
vs Gerald MeerschaertSubmission (D'Arce choke) · R1 0:50
UFC 322
15 Nov 2025
15 Nov 2025
Daukaus needed less than a minute against one of the division's most prolific submission artists. He dropped Meerschaert with strikes early, then jumped on the opening and locked up a D'Arce choke for the tap at 0:50 — his second straight sub-minute finish on his UFC return.
Key moments
- Dropped Gerald Meerschaert with strikes inside the opening exchanges.
- Recognised the opening and switched from ground strikes to the D'Arce choke.
- Forced the tap at 0:50 of round one — a 50-second finish at Madison Square Garden.
- Beat a renowned submission specialist by submission, extending his win streak to six.
Win
vs Michel PereiraKO (punches and elbows) · R1 0:43
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang
23 Aug 2025
23 Aug 2025
In his first UFC appearance since 2022, Daukaus shocked the unpredictable Pereira in Shanghai. He closed the distance and landed a short, brutal sequence of punches and elbows that ended the fight in 43 seconds — an emphatic statement to mark his return to the roster.
Key moments
- First UFC bout since 2022 after rebuilding on the regional scene.
- Closed distance immediately and unloaded punches and elbows.
- Stopped Michel Pereira at 0:43 of round one.
- The fastest finish of his career, kick-starting his second UFC run.
Win
vs Keanan PatershukKO (punches) · R1 1:24
Cage Fury FC 132
14 Jun 2024
14 Jun 2024
A second CFFC middleweight title defence, and Daukaus's most direct: he overwhelmed Patershuk early and got the knockout inside 90 seconds of the first round, keeping his regional reign intact while angling for a UFC return.
Key moments
- Defended the CFFC middleweight title for a second time.
- Pressed forward and finished with punches at 1:24 of round one.
- A rare KO win for a fighter whose game is built on submissions.
- Came exactly two years to the day before his White House booking.
Win
vs Sean Connor FallonSubmission (D'Arce choke) · R3 3:45
Cage Fury FC 129
9 Feb 2024
9 Feb 2024
Daukaus made the first defence of his reclaimed CFFC title, grinding the fight to the mat and finding his signature choke late. He locked up a D'Arce in the third round for the finish, true to the nickname.
Key moments
- First defence of the CFFC middleweight title he had just won back.
- Worked the fight to the ground and hunted the choke.
- Finished with a D'Arce choke at 3:45 of round three.
- Kept the regional momentum building toward a UFC recall.
Win
vs Gregg EllisDecision (unanimous) · R5
Cage Fury FC 124
2 Sep 2023
2 Sep 2023
Daukaus became a two-time CFFC middleweight champion, going the full five rounds with Gregg Ellis and taking a unanimous decision. A rare decision win on a record otherwise stacked with finishes, and the result that relaunched his climb back to the UFC.
Key moments
- Won the vacant CFFC middleweight title to become a two-time champion.
- Went the full championship five rounds — unusual for a fighter who normally finishes.
- Took the unanimous decision on all three cards.
- Called for a return to the world stage afterward.
Signature Finishes
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