UFC reportedly brings back fighter after nearly 3 years to save Shanghai matchup

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 3:31 PM ET

(Zuffa LLC)

The UFC is reportedly bringing back one of its former fighters for a huge short-notice opportunity at UFC Shanghai.

According to the report from AG Fight, UFC veteran Kyle Daukaus is returning to the promotion for the first time since 2022 to replace Marco Tulio, who was scheduled to meet Michel Pereira at Mercedes-Benz Arena on August 23.

The card will be the first UFC Fight Night event in mainland China since 2019 when the promotion visited Shenzhen, where Weili Zhang knocked out Jessica Andrade to begin her first reign with the UFC strawweight title.

Kyle Daukaus Returns To The UFC After Nearly 3 Years

The younger brother of fellow UFC veteran Chris Daukaus, Kyle failed to earn a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019 but joined the promotion in 2020 after defending his Cage Fury FC middleweight belt with back-to-back submissions.

Daukaus dropped his promotional debut to Brendan Allen and ended up going 2-3 with one No Contest across six UFC appearances. Following a pair of stoppage-losses in 2022, “The D’arce Knight” exited the UFC and returned to CFFC with a buzzer-beater submission against Robert Gidron.

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The 32-year-old reclaimed the CFFC middleweight belt in his next fight before defending it via finish on two occasions. Daukaus was scheduled to defend his belt for a third time against undefeated challenger Guram Gochashvili on August 30 at CFFC 145 before getting the call to step in at UFC Shanghai.

Michel Pereira Looks To End Losing Skid At UFC Shanghai

Daukaus is set for a stiff test in his return to the Octagon, as the formerly-ranked Pereira is only two fights removed from an eight-fight win streak that began in 2020 following a 1-2 start to his own UFC career.

“Demolidor” moved up to 185 lbs. after failing to make the welterweight limit for a matchup with Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson at UFC 291. The Brazilian found immediate success at middleweight with three-straight finishes in the first round, but a loss to Anthony Hernandez in Pereira’s first UFC Fight Night main event preceded what has now become a two-fight skid after he also lost to Abus Magomedov in April.

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Tulio was coming into the Pereira matchup on a ten-fight win streak that includes back-to-back knockouts this year in his first two UFC outings, but now Daukaus gets the chance to score what would be a massive win for his Octagon return in Shanghai on August 23.

UFC Shanghai Fight Card

• Main Event: Johnny Walker vs. Mingyang Zhang

• Co-Main Event: Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling

• Michel Pereira vs. Kyle Daukaus

• Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

• Sumudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas

• Rongzhu vs. Austin Hubbard

• Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Uran Satybaldiev

• Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Charles Johnson

• Long Xiao vs. Su Young You

• Maheshate Hayisaer vs. Gauge Young

• Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie

• Yizha vs. Westin Wilson