Preview: UFC 322 Prelims

Middleweights

Kyle Daukaus (16-4, 3-4 UFC) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (37-20, 12-12 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Daukaus (-375), Meerschaert (+295)

Meerschaert has had a career full of highs and lows, which makes it a bit of a surprise that this is his first time trying to recover from three straight losses. “GM3” took the long road to the UFC, racking up over 30 fights and nearly a decade of experience before getting the call in 2016, so it wasn’t a surprise that he quickly proved up to the challenge. A grimy and crafty grappler, Meerschaert immediately established himself as a gatekeeper in the classic mold. He constantly found himself hitting a clear athletic ceiling, but he could tangle up rawer prospects and find a submission or simply survive a beating before suddenly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Fighters in Meerschaert’s mold usually go through some rough patches, which again makes it something of a shock that he hasn’t racked up three consecutive losses before. That could suggest some slippage after such a long and hard-fought career, but those results all came against opponents who could have beaten Meerschaert at his peak. Perhaps Meerschaert still has something left in the tank, particularly since an extended fight against a recent UFC returnee in Daukaus could be quite enjoyable.

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Daukaus failed to earn a UFC contract despite a win on the Contender Series in 2019, then got the well-deserved call a year later, also quickly establishing himself as an engaging mid-tier middleweight. Daukaus’ status as a former heavyweight showed through his being a bit slow and unathletic, but he proved to be quite a dogged pressure fighter who could take apart an opponent on the ground given the opportunity. A 2022 loss to Roman Dolidze looked like it might be a career-altering result. Dolidze quickly broke Daukaus’ nose with a brutal knee in the clinch, and his durability subsequently betrayed him against Eryk Anders in his next fight. Those two losses led the UFC to release Daukaus. Though he recovered well with four straight regional victories, the same issues persisted with Daukaus’ lack of explosive athleticism. However, those durability concerns look to have been temporary. Daukaus scored a first-round knockout in the fight that wound up earning him a UFC return, but it was still quite a surprise to see him pull off the same trick against Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 257. Pereira figured to be the type of quick-twitch athlete who could immediately take him apart, only for Daukaus to wind up flipping the script. If Daukaus cannot replicate that outcome, this should be an entertaining and fairly even fight between two willing grapplers. With Meerschaert getting sparked just a bit more nowadays, the call is that Daukaus can continue this unexpected turn in his performances. The pick is Daukaus via first-round knockout.

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