Blaydes vs Daukaus betting picks & odds – UFC Fight Night 205

Curtis Blaydes will look to add another win to his resume this Saturday when he takes on Chris Daukaus in the main event of UFC Fight Night 205. This heavyweight matchup highlights a 12-fight card which is set to take place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Blaydes vs Daukaus stats, records & form

Curtis Blaydes (15-3-0) bounced back from a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis with a decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Blaydes got back to basics in the win over Rozenstruik, using his elite grappling and wrestling skills to take the fight to the mat and control it there. He seemed to learn a valuable lesson from trying to fight out of his comfort zone in a stand-up fight against Lewis. The No. 4 ranked heavyweight in the promotion is 10-3 over his last 12 UFC fights with two losses to Francis Ngannou and the one to Lewis as the only blemishes on his UFC record.

Chris Daukaus (12-4-0) had a five-fight winning streak snapped in a first-round knockout loss to Derrick Lewis in December. Each of Daukaus’s last 11 fights have all ended by knockout in the second round or earlier, with nine of those bouts going his way and the other two resulting in knockout losses. After having his 4-0 record in the UFC ended by Lewis, Daukaus gets another opportunity against a top-five opponent right away in this one.

Blaydes vs Daukhaus betting predictions

Curtis Blaydes always seems to be sitting right outside of the UFC Heavyweight Championship picture. His two past losses to Francis Ngannou make him an underwhelming choice to face the current champion, and his four-fight winning streak loss to Lewis kept him right outside the top tier as well. Still, there’s no questioning Blaydes’ status as “the best of the rest”; he may not be in the elite tier, but he’s very likely the top fighter in the tier right below it. And his grappling abilities are among the best in the division and make him a legitimate threat in every fight he enters the octagon for.

All three of Blaydes’ career losses have come by way of knockout, so it isn’t out of the question that Chris Daukaus catches Blaydes with a good shot to cash in as a big underdog here. But we haven’t seen Daukaus prove that he can produce a win like that against a high-quality opponent, and his endurance is a major concern as well given his tendency to go all out right from the beginning. As long as Blaydes doesn’t force the issue and fights his fight, this should be an easy win for him.

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