Kyle Daukaus didn’t stay without a fight for very long.
The UFC middleweight recently lost his opponent, Julian Marquez, for UFC Fight Night 201 on Feb. 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. And shortly after it was reported, the promotion was able to find a replacement for Daukaus (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in Jamie Pickett, according to two people with knowledge of the booking. The people requested anonymity since the promotion hasn’t made an announcement.
Daukaus, a former CFFC middleweight champion, is coming off a no contest against Kevin Holland this past October. Originally a submission win for Daukaus, the decision was overturned after replays revealed an accidental clash of heads knocked Holland unconscious and led to the fight-ending sequence.
Daukaus was supposed to fight Holland in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 197 this past November, but Holland had to pull out with an injury. Then replacement Roman Dolidze was pulled due to COVID-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, Pickett (13-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is looking to notch his third consecutive victory in the promotion. After an 0-2 start in the UFC following his contract win at Dana White’s Contender Series, Pickett bounced back with wins over Laureano Staropoli and most recently Joseph Holmes.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 201 lineup now includes:
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
- Jamahal Hill vs. Johnny Walker
- Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
- Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader
- Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl
- Diana Belbita vs. Gloria de Paula
- Kyle Daukaus vs. Jamie Pickett
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Jim Miller vs. Nikolas Motta
- Jonathan Pearce vs. TBA
- Mario Bautista vs. TBA
- Alan Baudot vs. Parker Porter
- Gabriel Benitez vs. David Onama
