Athletes
UFC FREEDOM 250
Kyle Daukaus | Ready to Shine | UFC Freedom 250
Resurgent Middleweight Talks UFC Return, Manifesting White House Opportunity | Presented by Crypto.com and RAM Trucks
Kyle Daukaus is a shining example of how if you keep your head down, keep working, and put yourself in a position to succeed, good things are more likely to come your way.
This time last summer, the 33-year-old middleweight was readying to defend his CFFC title against Keanan Patershuk, looking to secure his fourth consecutive win since his time on the UFC roster ended. Daukaus was focused on finding his way back to the Octagon but knew there were elements working against him.
With his first stint ended with consecutive first-round knockout losses and UFC CEO Dana White saying the promotion wasn’t necessarily keen on signing competitors over the age of 30, the Philadelphia-native knew it would take some work to get another opportunity, but he didn’t let that dissuade him and is now set to face Bo Nickal at UFC Freedom 250.
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“It’s pretty surreal to me, honestly,” Daukaus said. “I’m very grateful for where I am in life right now. I have two boys at home, one of them just turned six months last week, and you couldn’t have written this script up better. I feel like I’m saying that a lot, but that’s really how it is.”
A handful of weeks after beating Patershuk to successfully defend his title, Daukaus was called to replace Marco Tulio opposite Michel Pereira in Shanghai, China. He made the 15-hour trek, and he needed just 43 seconds to secure the finish in his return to the UFC. Less than three months later, he drove to New York and ran through Gerald Meerschaert at Madison Square Garden, submitting the veteran in 50 seconds at UFC 322.
Kyle Daukaus Fight Week Interview | UFC Freedom 250
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Kyle Daukaus Fight Week Interview | UFC Freedom 250
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“It’s crazy to think, it’s crazy to experience, but for someone’s story to be written in this way, I feel like I’m the perfect person for that right now,” Dauakaus said.
Daukaus’ resurgence was one of the cooler stories in the back half of 2025 and serves as a reminder that development is not linear, nor does it follow a set schedule.
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The Forge MMA representative opened his career with six consecutive submission wins, culminating in a third-round technical submission of UFC vet Jonavin Webb to claim the CFFC middleweight title for the first time and secure an opportunity to compete on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Dauakuas won via decision to stretch his record to 7-0, but he was not awarded a contract. After two more finishes in CFFC title fights, he was called up to fill in for Ian Heinisch in a bout against Brendan Allen in the summer of 2020. He flashed his skills and potential in the Octagon, including decent performances against Allen and Kevin Holland while also picking up two wins, but consecutive knockout losses led to his departure from the promotion and left Daukaus rexamning his passion for the sport.
Six months after his final UFC appearance, Daukaus stepped back into the cage and has been electric ever since.
“Before, I was just so uncomfortable on my feet and I don’t know why,” Daukaus said. “Honestly, whenever I stepped into the Octagon, as soon as the fight started, I was thrown off by range, thrown off by visualization, stuff like that. It was very tough the first time I was in there, and I think now I’m just more comfortable with it now. I’ve been here before, so I know what to expect… I just had to have the belief in myself of going out there and performing, going out there and fighting my fight, and showcasing my skills, then I don’t think that anybody can beat me. I know for a fact that nobody can beat me when I’m like that, and I’ve shown that in my last two fights. They’ve been quick, didn’t really show a ton, but I think that’s my skill set.
“If you look at the fights I’ve had prior, I was finishing guys in the first round. My first nine fights, I was 9-0, and there’s a reason why I was 9-0. There’s a reason why I’m on a six-fight winning streak right now. There’s a reason why I’m picked for this White House card. Everything is coming together, and Sunday night, we’re here to showcase those skills and show that I’m a force to be reckoned with in the division.”
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Although the opportunities to compete on this weekend’s historic event in Washington were always going to be limited, Daukaus had a weird inkling that he was going to be selected to compete even after he was booked to fight at UFC 327. He told his wife Katharine as much after he picked up his win over Meerschaert and doubled down when UFC started promoting the event. Katharine rightfully suggested he focused on his scheduled fight against Vicente Luque first, but then Daukaus got a call from UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, who told him that instead of fighting Luque in Miami, he was going to be facing Nickal in D.C. As soon as he hung up the phone, Daukaus took a little victory lap.
“That call from Hunter came, I hung up the phone, and I said, ‘I told you,’” Daukaus said, laughing. “I don’t know why this keeps happening, but it’s happening for a reason. A lot of the things I’ve been saying to my wife as far as manifesting, it’s all been coming to fruition and I’ve been very grateful that it’s all happening, very grateful that I’m being given all these opportunities to go out there and showcase myself.”
In addition to being one of 14 athletes tabbed to compete this weekend, Daukaus gets the opportunity to share the Octagon with one of the more highly regarded emerging talents on the roster.
A superstar collegiate wrestler at Penn State, Nickal has gone 5-1 in the UFC, rebounding from his first professional loss last May with a third-round head kick knockout of Rodolfo Vieira a couple fights after Daukaus submitted Meerschaert at UFC 322. Now at the outset of his fourth year on the roster, there is a sense that this may be the year where the 30-year-old up-and-comer takes a real step forward in the division, but the man he’ll be sharing the Octagon with on Sunday has other ideas.
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“You see these guys — and I don’t want to bad-mouth anybody, I don’t want to bad-mouth Bo or anything like that, but you see that some of these guys are given these things and gifted these things, and you often wonder, ‘Why this guy and why not me?’” Daukaus said. “You can’t play that card in life, but this is my opportunity to go out there and say, ‘It’s not him. It’s me,’ and that’s what I plan on doing Sunday night.
Kyle Daukaus' American Story | UFC Freedom 250
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Kyle Daukaus' American Story | UFC Freedom 250
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“When that cage door closes, it’s him or me, and it’s most certainly not going to be him.”
For Daukaus, this weekend’s matchup is not only a chance to take another step forward in the crowded middleweight ranks, but also the next chapter in the ongoing story of a kid who always thought he was destined to do something more in life and never knew what until he found MMA.
How To Watch UFC Freedom 250 Presented By Crypto.com & RAM
“Man, it just shines back to that 10-, 12-, 15-year-old kid that I was, trying to be somebody, and growing up always knowing that I was made for something more,” he said. “This is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to be somebody in the sport. I’ve always wanted to climb the rankings and a champion, and a win on Sunday just solidifies my place in this division, my place in this company, my place in this sport.
“It shows that throughout your career, whatever you experience — the goods, the bads, the highs, the lows — you just gotta keep pushing forward. Don’t let anybody else tell you ‘No’ and if you believe wholeheartedly that you’re put on this Earth to do something, s*** — go for it 100-percent because that’s what I’m doing and I’m showing that it’s working.”
UFC Freedom 250 presented by Crypto.com and Ram took place live from the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14. See the Official Results, Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!