Kyle Daukaus didn’t think he would be fighting again in 2022.
Back in June at UFC Austin, Daukaus suffered a first-round KO loss to Roman Dolidze. Daukaus got caught quickly with a knee and the fight was stopped 73 seconds in, which was disappointing for the Philly native.
“In my opinion, there’s not much to take away because it was so quick. I’ve said it before, I don’t really think I fought that night, it was so quick, it was so weird,” Daukaus said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I was in the hotel room after the fight and I didn’t feel like I fought. I was in a lot of pain with my face and stuff, but yeah it just felt weird, it was a weird night. It wasn’t too severe of a loss for me that I was dwelling on it. I’ve dwelled on a lot of losses I’ve had prior, they have really bothered me. But, this one, the next day I woke up and moved on and moved forward. I didn’t have the regret I had in other fights.”
Once Daukaus got back home to Philadelphia he went to his doctor to get his face checked out. After hearing the extent of his injuries, Daukaus didn’t expect to be cleared as quickly as he was.
“I had two cheek fractures and one orbital fracture underneath my eye. I left Austin on that Sunday, I was in the hospital on Saturday night until like midnight,” Daukaus explained. “Flew home in the morning and I went to the hospital in Philadelphia so I went back to the same doctor that did my surgery on my eyelid prior and he recommended me to a different doctor. The doctor that did this recent surgery was the same doctor that did Joel Embiid’s surgery. I had two cheek fractures and one orbital fracture. They put a plate over my cheek and I have like a mesh net underneath my eye socket to keep my eye elevated. They said eventually it would mold to my bone and create another plate there.”
Once Kyle Daukaus was cleared by his doctor, he wasn’t sure who he would be fighting next. Yet, when he got the contract offer to face Eryk Anders at UFC Orlando he immediately accepted as he likes the matchup and the fact Anders is a big name.
“I was very surprised they gave me him, just because of his name and the guys he has fought. When I watch his fights and do film studies, this dude has fought Machida, Thiago Santos, Gerald Meerschaert, Andre Muniz,” Daukaus said. “He has a lot of guys with a ton of experience. But, I do think the fight plays in my favor and is a good matchup. It’s a good fight for me to come back to. I do think we are being matched up because I’m coming off a loss and he’s coming off two losses.”
Not only is Kyle Daukaus coming off a loss, but this is also the final fight of his contract. With that, he says the pressure is on him to get a finish which he is confident he can do as he believes he will submit Anders at UFC Orlando.
“To be clear and honest, this is the last fight on my contract. This is do-or-die for me, so I have to do whatever I can to get this win… I think it plays out in many ways,” Daukaus said. “I don’t think it is going to be a back-and-forth, I really feel like I will be dominant. If I get it to the ground, I will end it quickly. But, if it is standing it will be a good fight and will showcase my striking ability. If it goes to the ground, I believe it will be a quick night.”
If Daukaus does get a submission win over Anders, he isn’t sure what is next. Instead, all he hopes is he gets to re-sign with the UFC and can start a winning streak.
“Hopefully I can still be on the cusp of the rankings. I’m just focusing on this fight because I’m not guaranteed anything after this. When I do win, I’m still unsure if they will sign me or not,” Daukaus said.
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