Prediction for the fight Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukas

There have been quite a few fighters in the UFC who have been at arm's length several times before the title fight, but each time they stumbled before the very finish line. So Curtis Blaydes, given the situation in his career, can be safely attributed to the same “lucky ones”. However, Razor still occupies a high position, so he has a future in heavyweight.

At UFC on ESPN 33, he was honored to take on Philadelphia prospect Chris Daukas in the main event of the evening, for whom this is his second chance in a row to make it to the top five. The matchmakers, as often happens, decided to bring the striker to the wrestler, so the fight promises to be intriguing. And who is more likely to come out of it as a winner - let's look at our prediction.

• Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukas;
• Curtis Blaydes;
• Chris Daukas;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukas

Curtis Blaydes

The American Mix Fighter is a titled wrestler. He went on to become an Illinois state champion, an NJCAA champion, remained undefeated as a student on the mat, and also came out with an 8-0 amateur MMA record. In the regional leagues, Curtis failed to become a champion, however, even from there this guy was able to leave “dry”, without losing.

After signing to the UFC, Blades defeated the lion's share of the top opposition, earned bonuses for striking victories, and most importantly, he established himself in the top lines of the rating for many years, repeatedly being millimeters from the status of a contender for the championship title.

Strengths

Aggressive, power wrestling is the style due to which Razor takes out all his fights. He translates with enviable speed and efficiency, perfectly holds positions, and most importantly, does not focus on holding tricks, always remaining bloodthirsty and very tough.

Not wanting to waste time looking for the best angles for arm wringing and neck grabs, Curtis is straightforward and brazen - breaking opponents with fists and elbows. The latter, by the way, cause special problems for his opponents, because Blades is physically gifted, therefore each “poke” performed by him causes serious damage, and even with a minimum amplitude of punches, they can knock even the most reinforced concrete head out of consciousness.

Curtis is unlikely to be a formidable stand-up finisher, but his boxing has indeed improved markedly in recent years and is something to be reckoned with. A heavy, sweeping, and accurate strike are the characteristics that allow this guy to beat all the nonsense out of those who dare to gape while standing with him.

Weaknesses

Passing to the feet from the middle of the octagon, simple combinations, as well as not the best speed indicators, make Blades a vulnerable target for high-class fighters. In addition, he himself is quite bad at defending against takedowns, although only the most daring have tested this. "Razor" can be called a single-tasking athlete, which makes him vulnerable to real all-rounders.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Curtis is only 31 years old and also has 1 loss in his last 5 fights. He was inferior only to Derrick Lewis, while defeating such monsters as Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Abdurahimov. At the moment, Blades is at the peak of his abilities, and there is no doubt that in the near future it is unlikely that anyone will be able to take him out of his way, except for the guys from the TOP 3.

Chris Daukas

The police officer manages not only to serve, but also to prove himself in mixed martial arts at the highest level. Initially, Chris won victories in local tournaments, but after turning professional he fought for the title of Cage Fury champion, even if that fight was not crowned with success for him.

In the UFC, the American has already won 3 knockout bonuses, and this despite the fact that Daukas owns a BJJ black belt. So far, only one fight out of 16 in his career has ended in a decision, so Chris's performances are always interesting to watch, regardless of whether he loses or wins.

Strengths

Daukas is still very far from an athlete with a reference body, but a slightly flabby appearance can only mislead those who have not seen his fights. The amount of work Chris puts into each round makes even the most athletic of fighters sweat as he throws an insane amount of punches every minute and most importantly, the force with which he does so forces the opposition down 95% of the time.

Despite the fact that this athlete fought only 5 fights in the UFC, it is worth paying tribute to his takedown defense, especially considering what level of wrestlers he had to face. His fights are so dynamic that sometimes opponents simply do not have time to implement their plan for a fight.

Protracted series with forward movement, and sometimes fussy behavior in the cage, do not prevent Chris from hitting right on target, simply driving his opponent's face into empty space. This quality also allows him to quickly and with minimal damage finish many confrontations.

Weaknesses

In mixed martial arts, there have always been and will be those who constantly hang around near the top, but can’t get there. Daukas can also compete with the lion's share of heavyweights, but it is too early for him to face the top five, even in terms of technique and skill level. Lots of mistakes, an imperfect defense, an open chin during attacks, and not the best counter-attacking skills, along with mediocre wrestling, so far, will separate him from the main squad, no matter how hard he tries to get there.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Chris is 32 years old, and in 5 fights under the roof of the UFC, he lost only once, sharing a cage with Derrick Lewis. Prior to that, his asset consisted of 4 early victories, in which Aleksey Oleinik, Shamil Abdurahimov and other strong rating athletes turned out to be the “victims”. This guy is in his prime, he actively performs, but does not show any stunning progress, so we can conclude that this is his best or close to ideal form. This means that we do not expect any surprises in his performance, for example, a fierce fight on the ground, but good work on the stand is quite a yes.

Comparative analysis

Starting the story with anthropometry, we note that Blades has a tremendous advantage here in all respects: he is 6 cm taller, has a 10 cm larger arm span, and is 10-12 kg heavier than his counterpart. Without a doubt, we are seeing an equally serious gap in the class of athletes, because Curtis has a number of wrestling titles, and he has fought with more advanced opposition, especially in recent years. Stylistically, Daukas is convenient for Razor, because he does an excellent job with those who rush at him, arbitrarily opening his lower body for a takedown.

In the stand, Chris will be more active, he will be able to crush the enemy with a number of blows, but, neither with strength nor accuracy, he will not surprise Blades. As for the ground floor, Daukas' black belt in BJJ, whose level in the octagon has not been tested, is unlikely to mean anything. Translations, clinch, ground and pound, general power and understanding of the technique of working in a horizontal position will make this evening perfect for Curtis. It is unlikely that he will linger on his feet, risking running into a stray blow, so we should expect another wrestling match in his performance, where the opponent will have frankly few chances. In fact, there is only one way for Chris to win - a quick knockout, but two of the division's hardest hitters managed to drop Razor, and Daukas is not one of them.

Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukas Fight Prediction

When a parterist and a drummer converge in a cage, for the latter, such a collision does not look like the best idea. Luckypunch is an option that will always be relevant for the heavyweight, and Blades has already knocked out three times, so his jaw cannot be called a guarantor that excludes this possibility. However, I can call Curtis one of the best, if not the best wrestler in the division, because I am more than confident that he is able to transfer Chris, and then implement his standard plan - wear down and break him with a hail of powerful punches. All the trump cards are in the hands of the favorite of the meeting, and there is a high probability that he will finish this fight ahead of schedule on the ground floor. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Curtis Blaydes to win