Kyle Daukaus continued his resurgence in the promotion with a swift victory over veteran Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 322. The meeting barely reached the first minute before Daukaus connected with a sharp left hand that sent Meerschaert to the floor. As Meerschaert tried to gather himself, Daukaus quickly closed the distance and secured a D’arce choke that forced an immediate tap. The contest ended only fifty seconds after the opening exchange.
The win marks the second time since his return that Daukaus has completed a bout in less than two minutes combined. His previous outing saw him overwhelm Michel Pereira, and Saturday’s matchup carried the same sense of certainty from the moment his first punch landed.
Daukaus has pieced together six straight victories since leaving the roster, eventually earning his way back through consistent performances outside the promotion. His return so far has shown sharper striking and quicker decision making, especially when he recognizes an opening on the ground.
After the fight, Daukaus shared how the bout unfolded from his perspective.
“I’m living the dream right now,” he said with visible excitement. “The way my life is, it’s been amazing. We knew that he was going to be grappling heavy. I’m getting very comfortable in my striking and it’s showing. I knew once I tagged him, we’d follow up and get the finish.”
Wasted no time tonight 🚨@KyleDaukaus gets the stoppage EARLY in round one! #VeChain #UFC322 pic.twitter.com/FZEdfbfNoK
— UFC (@ufc) November 16, 2025
The finishing sequence started when Daukaus stepped in with a clean combination that left Meerschaert unable to defend the incoming follow up. Instead of settling for ground strikes, Daukaus noticed room to attack the neck. He cinched the D’arce choke immediately and locked it in before Meerschaert could counter.
The result moves Daukaus to seventeen wins with four defeats and one no contest. With two dominant outings to restart his middleweight campaign, he has positioned himself as one of the most active threats climbing back up the division.
