Barriault vs Daukaus Preview: Volume Striker Meets Submission Hunter
Same number of wins, completely different routes to them. Marc-Andre Barriault and Kyle Daukaus both own 17 victories, and the unranked middleweights meet on Oct. 17 at Rogers Place in Edmonton as part of the UFC Fight Night card.
Barriault, the 36-year-old Canadian known as "Powerbar," is 17-11-0 and lives up to the nickname. He has connected on 995 of 2,115 significant strikes in the UFC and lands 5.65 per minute but absorbs 5.94, so he takes slightly more than he gives. Eleven of his wins (65%) are knockouts, five are decisions and one a submission; seven came in the first round. Daukaus, a 33-year-old American at 17-4-0 who made his Octagon debut in June 2020, is a finisher of a different kind: 12 of his wins (71%) are submissions, and his UFC fights average just 7:37 to Barriault's 10:21.
- Size: Daukaus is 6-foot-3 with a 76-inch reach; Barriault is 6-foot-1 with 74 inches.
- Striking: Daukaus is more accurate (53% to 47%) and absorbs far less (2.94 per minute to 5.94), but at 3.16 landed per minute he produces little more than half of Barriault's output, and his 42% significant strike defense trails Barriault's 49%.
- Where the damage happens: 28% of Barriault's significant strikes come in the clinch and only 7% on the ground. Daukaus lands 24% of his on the ground.
- Wrestling: Daukaus averages 1.97 takedowns per 15 minutes and completes 21% of his attempts (9 of 43). Barriault averages 0.34 and has landed one of 14. Takedown defense is 79% for Daukaus and 68% for Barriault.
- Finishing: Barriault has 11 knockout wins; Daukaus has two knockouts, eight first-round finishes and 1.97 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Knockdown averages are nearly identical at 0.34 and 0.36.
The fight turns on whether Barriault can keep this upright and in the clinch, where his volume does the work, or whether Daukaus can get it to the mat, where 12 of his wins have come.
Prelims begin at 3 p.m. local time, with the main card at 6 p.m. Daukaus' fights rarely last long, so arrive early. Get your seat: Barriault vs Daukaus tickets.