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This weekend sees the UFC visit Columbus, Ohio for their latest Fight Night event. On paper, this has the potential to be a decent show.
UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus features a number of exciting fighters, meaning that there should be plenty of contenders for the Fight of the Night award.
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So with an extra chunk of money available to those fighters who put on the most entertaining scraps this weekend, who will go home having put on the best fight?
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Here are five contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus.
#5. UFC heavyweight bout: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus
There’s definitely a chance that this weekend’s headline bout between UFC heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus turns out to be a bit of a snoozer. Particularly if Blaydes simply outwrestles Daukaus for a unanimous decision.
‘Razor’ has often been labeled a dull fighter in recent years. However, he’s been part of a number of barnburners during his career in the octagon, most notably against opponents like Junior dos Santos, Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem.
So is it likely that we see a fight in that vein this weekend? It’s definitely possible. After all, Daukaus could not be further from being a boring fighter. He’s been the distance just once in his MMA career. Since beginning his octagon career in 2020, he’s picked up four KO wins and three $50k performance bonuses.
Admittedly, there are questions around Daukaus’ takedown defense. However, if he can potentially fend off a couple of early shots from Blaydes, we could end up seeing a brawl on the feet between two heavy-handed big men.
If that’s the case, then who will come out on top? It’s hard to say. While ‘Razor’ clearly hits like a truck, so does Daukaus – and neither man has demonstrated an iron chin in their previous octagon appearances.
Is this clash absolutely likely to claim the award? Perhaps not, but it’s definitely a dark horse contender.
#4. UFC lightweight bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
A handful of years ago, the UFC didn’t have many hotter prospects than UK-based lightweight Marc Diakiese. ‘The Bonecrusher’ reeled off three wins in a row from 2016 to 2017, and received a pretty hefty contract for his efforts.
Since then, Diakiese has struggled, going 2-5 in his next seven bouts. This weekend, he finds himself with his back against the wall against a prospect every bit as hot as he once was.
Viacheslav Borshchev – a product of Team Alpha Male – debuted in the octagon in January with a brutal TKO of Dakota Bush, finishing his opponent with a punch to the body. Prior to that, he’d picked up an equally violent finish of Chris Duncan on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Borshchev is definitely a dangerous fighter, but he’s also reckless. It’s hardly a surprise to learn that he’s gone the distance just twice in his seven professional bouts.
That recklessness may not just play into Diakiese’s hands, but it could also produce a truly wonderful fight this weekend. If Borshchev goes after ‘The Bonecrusher’ like he tends to do with most of his opponents, he could find himself in trouble. After all, Diakiese is a very heavy hitter.
Essentially, it seems unlikely that this one will go the distance either way. Considering the aggression and striking ability of both men, it could produce a potential Fight of the Night award winner.
#3. UFC welterweight bout: Neil Magny vs. Max Griffin
It might be part of this weekend’s preliminary card, but the welterweight bout between hardened veteran Neil Magny and action fighter Max Griffin could definitely produce a Fight of the Night contender.
Magny has not fought for almost a year now, but is coming off one of the more impressive wins of his octagon tenure – a decision victory over hard hitter Geoff Neal. Overall, ‘The Haitian Sensation’ holds a UFC record of 18-7, and has claimed bonus awards on four occasions in the past.
Griffin, meanwhile, is on the best run of his career. He’s won his last three bouts – two via stoppage – and has not lost since March 2020.
What makes this fight likely to produce fireworks is Magny’s general penchant for engaging his opponents wherever they want him to. A true jack-of-all-trades, ‘The Haitian Sensation’ might be better off trying to take Griffin down in this bout, but it’s more likely that he’ll look to beat him on the feet.
If that’s the case, we should be in for a wild fight until at least one of these two hits the deck. Despite the experience differential, given Magny’s questionable chin, it could be either of them.
#2. UFC flyweight bout: Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France
It’s arguable that the fight that has the most riding on it this weekend – even above the headline bout – is the flyweight clash between Askar Askarov and Kai Kara-France. Given that Askarov is ranked at No.2 and Kara-France is just four spots below him at No.6, it’s possible the winner could claim the next UFC flyweight title shot.
However, this isn’t just an important fight from a rankings perspective. It’s also likely to be hugely entertaining. It pits a hyperactive grappler against an aggressive striker in what is almost certain to produce a Fight of the Night contender.
Kara-France has essentially not had a bad fight inside the octagon. ‘Don’t Blink’ has won four post-fight bonus awards in his eight-fight career with the promotion, including his last two victories – huge knockouts of Rogerio Bontorin and Cody Garbrandt.
Askarov, meanwhile, has less finishes on his record than the New Zealander – all his UFC bouts have gone the distance – but that doesn’t make him any less exciting. In fact, his draw with Brandon Moreno in 2019 was one of the better fights that year.
More importantly, though, while Askarov may be able to take Kara-France down, ‘Don’t Blink’ will not make things easy for him on the ground. This means that we should be in for some fireworks regardless of which way this fight goes.
With high stakes, this one is a must-see clash. It’s also likely to produce a Fight of the Night contender.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena
The bout that is clearly the most likely to produce a Fight of the Night contender this weekend is the welterweight clash between Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena.
Both men are probably past their prime at this stage. Brown, who has already retired once, is 41 years old. While Barberena is nearly a decade younger, he’s also been fighting professionally for well over a decade and has taken plenty of damage.
However, it’s probably fair to argue that over the years they’ve been with the UFC, both ‘The Immortal’ and ‘Bam Bam’ have been amongst the most exciting fighters operating in the promotion.
Interestingly, they fight in very different ways. Brown is aggressive almost to a fault, but can be finished in turn, while Barberena seemingly prefers to soak up punishment before coming back at his opponents. That combination should make for a more crazy fight this weekend.
Essentially, Brown will come in to try to take Barberena’s head off, while ‘Bam Bam’ will clearly attempt to weather the early storm and take ‘The Immortal’ out at some point down the stretch. Regardless of which way it might go, fans should expect some wild action in this bout.
