UFC heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus will square off as the new main event of the upcoming UFC Columbus card.
This was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
Blaydes is looking to continue his momentum after an impressive win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 264. Before that, he had lost via second-round knockout to Derrick Lewis last February.
Blaydes will face a tough challenge in Daukaus, who also is looking to get back on track after a knockout loss to Lewis. He had been on a five-fight winning streak before the defeat to Lewis, which was his first loss in the UFC.
Blaydes/Daukaus will take the place of a light heavyweight showdown between Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic. It was the originally scheduled main event before Blachowicz was forced to withdraw with an injury. That matchup is expected to be re-booked for later this year.
Blaydes had recently called for a fight with former interim champion Ciryl Gane next, but it appears that Gane wants to take some time off after losing to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270. The matchup could still happen if Blaydes can get past Daukaus.
The UFC heavyweight title picture is a bit shaky at the moment as Ngannou is expected to miss a majority of 2022 after undergoing knee surgery. Some believe that the promotion will likely book another interim title bout as Ngannou recovers from his injury.
Blaydes vs. Daukaus won't be the only intriguing fight on the card. A potential No. 1 flyweight contender bout between Askar Askarov and Kai Kara France will serve as the co-main event, and Michelle Waterson will make her return to the Octagon against Amanda Ribas.
What is your prediction for Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus?