This is certainly a clash of styles. If Daukaus was a better
athlete, he would clearly be a middleweight contender without much
issue, as his process is mostly rock-solid. Daukaus focuses his
approach around constant pressure and offense, shifting through
phases while attempting to make his opponents uncomfortable and
hunting for a finish. Unfortunately, it also shows that Daukaus is
a former heavyweight. He has a large frame for the division but is
obviously one of the slower 185-pound competitors on the UFC
roster, getting him in trouble against quicker standout athletes.
Daukaus has also run up against a physical ceiling in terms of
strength, particularly in a 2021 loss to Phil Hawes,
though he did rebound in what would have been the biggest win of
his career against Kevin
Holland. Daukaus seemingly had the fight well in hand up until
an accidental clash of heads ended the fight in a no contest.
Daukaus kicked off 2022 well with a dominant win over a low-output
fighter in Jamie
Pickett and figured to pull off something similar against
Roman
Dolidze, only for that to be an outing where his athletic
deficiencies suddenly raised their head. Dolidze quickly ended
things with a knee in the clinch that broke Daukaus’ face. Given
that, he makes a surprisingly quick turnaround against Anders, who
offers much the same challenge as Daukaus’ last two opponents.
Anders came to the UFC as a raw prospect in 2017 but already had a
built-in fanbase, owing to his time as a linebacker at the
University of Alabama during one of the Crimson Tide’s championship
seasons. That notoriety essentially led Anders to become a victim
of his own success. He was rushed into a main event spot against
Lyoto
Machida as the UFC scrambled for a headliner, then did not get
much of a step back in competition now that he was established as a
former marquee attraction. Now over five years deep into his UFC
career, Anders has settled into a neutralizing style that shows
just enough potential at times to remain interesting. He is still a
powerful athlete who is difficult to control, and he has proven to
have some impressive durability even while facing some hard
hitters. Again, the issue is that Anders has seemingly decided to
apply those talents to try and neutralize his opponents and keep
things at a slow pace where he is at his most comfortable. It helps
keeps Anders out of danger, but it has also cost him some
unimpressive results against opponents he should have the talent to
handily beat on paper. There are some worries for Daukaus.
Durability is part of his own success, and such a quick turnaround
from what looked to be a massive injury against Dolidze raises some
red flags. Plus, Anders seems about due for one of the quick
knockouts that helps keep people invested in his progress. Provided
Daukaus’ durability holds up, the Philadelphian should be able to
find enough wrestling and grappling success to make his whole
process work and separate himself clearly in terms of striking
volume. The pick is Daukaus via decision.
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