Kyle Daukaus is back, and perhaps more violent than ever?
On the UFC Fight Night 257 prelims, Daukaus (16-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) made his re-arrival heard loud and clear as he smashed Michel Pereira (31-14 MMA, 9-5 UFC) with a violent knockout barrage for a stoppage at 43 seconds of Round 1. The middleweight bout took place on Saturday’s prelims at Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai.
Daukaus dropped Pereira with a big counter right hand and then pounced. Rather than lean on his submission skills, Dauakus went for the finish and got it with some brutal ground-and-pound elbows.
Kyle Daukus Gets The HUGE Upset Win Over Michel Pereira Via RD1 KO pic.twitter.com/2ohOjl03jR
— The MMA Archives (@Themmaarchives) August 23, 2025
Daukaus’ impactful UFC return extends his winning streak to five. He competed in the UFC eight times from June 2020 to December 2022 and compiled a 3-4 record with one no contest. Following the completion of his second UFC deal, the promotion declined to renew him. Daukaus returned to the regional scene with CFFC where he went 4-0 with two title victories.
Pereira, 31, finds himself on the firs three-fight skid of his career. He entered Saturday’s bout off back-to-back defeats to Anthony Hernandez and Abus Magomedov.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Shanghai results include:
- Kyle Daukaus def. Michel Pereira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:43
- Yi Zha def. Westin Wilson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:37
- SuYoung You def. Xiao Long via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Uran Satybaldiev def. Diyar Nurgozhay via submission (Ezekiel choke) – Round 1, 2:45
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Second-stint UFC fighter scores stunning knockout over flashy striker