NEW YORK – Kyle Daukaus met the media Saturday after his win over Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 322.
Daukaus (17-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) made quick work of Meerschaert (37-20 MMA, 12-12 UFC) on the prelims at Madison Square Garden and submitted him in just 50 seconds with a D’Arce choke. The finish turned the tables on Meerschaert, who is a renowned grappler who has the most submission wins in UFC middleweight history and has the highest submission finishing rate in UFC history with 11 of his 12 wins by tapout.
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Daukaus found himself outside the UFC after a a 2-4 run in the promotion from 2020-2022, but won the Cage Fury middleweight title in 2023, defended it twice, then made his return to the UFC earlier this year in Shanghai – where he pulled off a stunning 43-second knockout of Michel Pereira.
With his 50-second finish of Meerschaert, he has six straight wins – and the all-important quick ones in his second stint in the UFC.
“For me, the sky’s the limit,” Daukaus said at his post-fight news conference. “This is something I’ve been working toward my whole life – I really have, and it’s just really showing. There are a lot of guys coming up right now in this game that are very good, and are very talented, and I feel like I’m one of these guys. I’m just very thankful.”
Being cut the first time, Daukaus said he had to be resilient and find the right mental approach to earn his way back to the big show.
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“When it happened at first, obviously I was upset and annoyed about it. But I told myself I can harp on it and just be annoyed about it the whole time, or make them think it was a mistake and just keep winning and get back here. I really just want to show that my career and my lifestyle is an example of guys that struggle in their life, and they come back.
“… I’m going to get back to the big stage and I’m going to make a statement. That’s the momentum I’ve had.”
Check out Daukaus’ post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kyle Daukaus sees big things in second stint after UFC 322
