5 contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus

Matt Brown, who fights this weekend, has been involved in some classic fights over the years

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?

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

Contrary to what some fans believe, Curtis Blaydes is capable of producing fireworks in the octagon

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.

🔪 @RazorBlaydes265 best finishes - a 🧵

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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.