Curtis Blaydes feels UFC 304 rematch with Tom Aspinall for interim gold is “poetic”

Curtis Blaydes had a feeling he was destined for a rematch with Tom Aspinall.

Blaydes will be challenging Aspinall for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. The bout will take place on the UFC 304 card in Manchester on July 27th. The two bruisers met in London back in July 2022. The fight had an unfortunate and quick ending, as Aspinall suffered a knee injury that forced a stoppage just 15 seconds in.

“Razor” believes the rematch for interim gold feels right.

RELATED: JON JONES BELIEVES TOM ASPINALL COULD LOSE UFC 304 TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST CURTIS BLAYDES: “HE’S DRINKING HIS OWN KOOL-AID”

Curtis Blaydes Feels Tom Aspinall Rematch is Destiny

During an interview with Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.com, Curtis Blaydes discussed getting a chance to fight Tom Aspinall again two years later.

“I knew that I would have another opportunity to fight him again,” Blaydes told MMA Junkie. “Whether or not it was for a belt, I wouldn’t have been able to guess it. But I think it’s a little poetic that it is for a belt.”

Blaydes isn’t known to have personal issues with his opponents, and Tom certainly is no exception. “Razor” made it clear that his bout with Aspinall is strictly business.

“He’s a cool dude,” Blaydes said. “There’s no beef. I don’t know if I’ll be able to, but I would like to disperse the negative narrative that you have to hate the guy you’re gonna fight. I’ve been an athlete since I was 9, never hated any of my opponents, won a lot – football, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, MMA. Never hated anybody. You don’t have to hate somebody to physically compete and do your best to win. I know he’s gonna do his best to knock me out; I’m gonna do my best to knock him out. But there’s no animosity behind it. It’s just that’s his job, that’s my job.”

UFC 304 will be headlined by a UFC Welterweight Championship fight. Titleholder Leon Edwards will look for his third successful title defense when he takes on Belal Muhammad.