5 most explosive moments from UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus

#2. Chris Gutierrez uncorks one of the best spinning backfists in UFC history

Chris Gutierrez switched the lights off on Batgerel Danaa with a sick spinning backfist

While spinning back kicks and spinning elbows have become more common in the UFC in recent years, spinning backfists are still a pretty rare finish to see unleashed in the octagon.

However, last night saw bantamweight Chris Gutierrez uncork one of the better ones we’ve seen in the promotion’s history, earning him a well-deserved $50k bonus in the process.

Faced with Mongolia’s Batgerel Danaa, who was riding a three-fight winning streak with three knockouts, it looked like ‘El Guapo’ might be up against it in the early going. ‘The Storm’ clearly took the first round, largely outstriking Gutierrez and landing a heavy takedown, too.

However, midway through the second round, it appeared that Danaa was becoming too aggressive for his own good. He was still landing the better shots, but seemed to be pushing forward a little too wildly. When he did, Gutierrez caught him with a perfectly-timed spinning backfist that switched his lights off.

‘El Guapo’ still needed to smash him with elbows to force a stoppage, but this was still one of the most memorable finishes of 2022 thus far. While it’s unlikely that Gutierrez will find himself in title contention in the near future, this finish will probably appear on highlight reels for years to come.

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#1. Curtis Blaydes ends the night of Chris Daukaus in brutal fashion

Curtis Blaydes delivered a thunderous knockout of Chris Daukaus in last night's headliner

Many UFC fans felt that last night’s main event fight between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus had the potential to be somewhat dull, primarily because of the suspicion that ‘Razor’ would simply blanket his way to a win.

Blaydes did win, but it certainly wasn’t dull. In fact, the finish that ‘Razor’ uncorked was so brutal that it may well end up changing his trajectory in the heavyweight division altogether. In fact, after this win, he’s probably regained the momentum that he lost in his defeat to Derrick Lewis.

Early on, it looked like Daukaus had the faster hands, and he tagged Blaydes with a decent right hand in a brief exchange. However, as the round went on, it looked like Blaydes was gaining in confidence, and while he didn’t shoot for a takedown, he was starting to land well.

It didn’t take him long to find his range in the second round at all. As Daukaus came forward, Blaydes connected with a crushing right hand that sent him crashing to the ground, and a few elbows on the mat sealed the deal.

This was a truly brutal knockout from Blaydes, and given his excellent record, it should elevate him back up the rankings, perhaps even into an interim title shot.

With reigning champion Francis Ngannou out indefinitely, there’s even a chance that ‘Razor’ is now the best heavyweight on the roster, and this was a violent taster of what he can do when he’s at his best.