Kyle Daukaus could have still been a UFC fighter if he wanted.
Daukaus lost back-to-back fights by knockout to Roman Dolidze and Eryk Anders and after the loss to Anders, he had fought out his contract. With him losing two in a row, Daukaus expected to get released but he was offered a short-notice fight at light heavyweight against Tyson Pedro at UFC 284 in Australia which he turned down. He was subsequently released shortly there after.
“CFFC is very local to me and I was the middleweight champ prior to being signed to the UFC, so that is always been available. There are other organizations – on the regional scene – that are around but aren’t high up as CFFC,” Daukaus said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I didn’t want to fight for anybody that isn’t (don’t get noticed). CFFC is on Fight Pass, a lot of organizations aren’t. There was potential for me to stay with the UFC, I was offered to fight Tyson Pedro but that didn’t happen and that was my choice to not take that fight and move on from the UFC as of right now. We spoke to Bellator, we spoke to PFL and they haven’t happened as of yet but will likely happen by the end of the year.”
After Kyle Daukaus got released and spoke to PFL and Bellator and got no deal, he knew he would likely go back to CFFC where he was the middleweight champion. Yet, he was offered to headline an XMMA fight against a couple of notable opponents but neither came to fruition. The same thing happened for his CFFC 120 fight on Friday night.
“It was very difficult. I was supposed to fight for XMMA which was going to be the main event coming up, and I had about three or four different opponents. They offered me Rafael Carvalho who was the Bellator middleweight champ, he didn’t want to cut to 185 so I said we can fight at 195 and it fell through,” Kyle Daukaus said. “I had another opponent that we weren’t sure of and then they offered me Nate Marquardt to fight at 185 on two weeks’ notice and that isn’t the guy I want to fight on two weeks’ notice just to have a fight to get paid. CFFC then offered me another three or opponents, again Carvalho and he didn’t respond. Maki Pitolo responded and said yes and was waiting for the contract and they then said he said no because he didn’t want to fight me near my hometown.”
With Daukaus having trouble getting an opponent, eventually Robert Gidron (7-7 MMA) took the fight. Although it isn’t the caliber of opponent Daukaus wanted to fight, he knows he has to make quick work of him to prove he belongs in a major promotion.
“Fighting a guy like Robert, he is very game. He’s 7-7, his record may not show it but he’s beaten Josh Fremd who’s a middleweight in the UFC right now,” Kyle Daukaus said. “He also fought Kyle Crutchmer in Bellator and Crutchmer couldn’t even finish him. The guy is very tough and I look forward to getting in there to beat him. But, there is a lot of pressure on me and I like being under the pressure.”
If Kyle Daukuas finishes Robert Gidron at CFFC 120 as he expects, he isn’t sure what is next for him. He hopes talks with Bellator and PFL pick back up but also isn’t ruling out a return to the UFC.
“My number one goal is to just win on June 16. Whatever happens after that, happens. Hopefully, I can be signed to the Bellator or PFL, but if the UFC called me and needed me I would be more than open to fill in as long as I win on June 16,” Daukaus concluded.
