MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new middleweight booking. A reason for Marquez’s withdrawal is currently unknown. UFC Fight Night 201 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight scrap between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev.
A former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder, Daukaus hasn’t competed since UFC Fight Night 193, when what initially appeared to be a stoppage victory against Kevin Holland was overturned to a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads. Since then, Daukaus had fights against Holland and Roman Dolidze fall through at UFC Fight Night on Nov. 13. The Philadelphia native is 1-2 with one on contest during his Octagon tenure.
Pickett, meanwhile, has bounced back from losses in his initial two promotional appearances to score back-to-back decision triumphs against Laureano Staropoli and Joseph Holmes. The three-time Dana White’s Contender Series competitor is 13-6 over the course of a professional career that began in 2011.