In August, Kyle Daukaus was preparing to defend his Cage Fury FC middleweight title when an opportunity arose to return to the Octagon at UFC Shanghai. Daukaus fought seven times in his first stint in the UFC before not being re-signed. Four wins and three finishes later, he was on the short list to return if and when the right opportunity came.
That opportunity arrived at UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Zhang, where he faced high-flying finisher Michel Pereira. Out of everyone on this list, Daukaus’ win was the most decisive, as he knocked out the Brazilian in just 43 seconds, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in the process.
Honorable Mentions
Joshua Van vs Brandon Royval: The newly crowned flyweight champion earned his spot to challenge Alexandre Pantoja after stepping in on three weeks’ notice to face former No. 1 contender Brandon Royval at UFC 317. The two fought their hearts out, producing one of, if not the best fight of the year.
Zach Reese vs Jackson McVey: Zach Reese was another great example of someone who had no intentions of fighting on Tuesday morning of fight week before receiving the call to face Jackson McVey in the opener of UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown. After a back-and-forth first round, Reese took things to the ground and scored the submission in the second.
Joel Alvarez vs Vicente Luque: At UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot, Joel Alvarez filled in for an injured Santiago Ponzinibbio to face Vicente Luque up a division at welterweight. The lightweight standout looked as good as ever at 170 pounds, defeating the UFC veteran unanimously on the scorecards.