Curtis Blaydes News

Chris Taylor - February 10, 2018

UFC 221 Results: Curtis Blaydes defeats Mark Hunt A key heavyweight scrap between surging division contender Curtis Blaydes and former interim title challenger Mark Hunt served as the co-main event of tonight’s UFC 221 event in Perth.

Justin Golightly - February 2, 2018

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Mark Hunt. After he beat surging contender Derrick Lewis last Summer, he disappeared across the sea like Godzilla at the end of a movie. As he winds down his legendary career, he returns at UFC 221 in Perth to fight Curtis Blaydes. As a fighter who has only been in the UFC for two years, the relative newcomer knows what it means to step into the Octagon with the Super Samoan. Even comparing him to Michael Jordan or Charles Barkley. “I’m appreciative that the UFC’s gonna give me the chance to fight a living legend. I wasn’t expecting it so soon, but I’m happy they did it. I’m looking forward to putting on a show. My hands have gotten a lot better and I know his hands are very dangerous, but with my hands, plus my wrestling — I think it’s a great fight. I’ve always respected Mark Hunt, I don’t have the style, obviously, but you can’t help respect a guy who’s been doing it for as long as he has at the level he has. I know he doesn’t have the best record, but everyone knows he only fights the best of the best.”

Tom Taylor - December 14, 2017

When heavyweight veteran Alistair Overeem stepped into the Octagon with brick-fisted puncher Francis Ngannou at UFC 218, he opted to stand and trade with him, and ultimately paid the price, succumbing to a first-round uppercut. Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, 9th-ranked UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes explained that he does not expect Francis Ngannou’s next opponent, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, to make this kind of mistake. Instead, he expects a cautious and surgical approach from the champ. “I was a little surprised [how the fight went],” Curtis Blaydes said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I wasn’t surprised at Ngannou. He did, definitely, what he should have done, [which] was just stand there and chuck [punches at] him, and it worked. I’m surprised that Overeem was so quick to engage in that type of action. Overeem’s a veteran, and him knowing that he doesn’t have the best chin anymore, I was a bit surprised at how eager he was [to trade].”

Tom Taylor - December 14, 2017

Earlier this month, in the co-main event of UFC 218, surging French-Cameroonian heavyweight Francis Ngannou knocked out Alistair Overeem to earn a shot at reigning UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic. This violent knockout win caused Ngannou’s hype to skyrocket to new and towering heights, but in the opinion of 9th-ranked heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes, the outcome of this fight had a lot to do with Overeem’s surprising game plan. “I mean, I was a little surprised [how the fight went],” Curtis Blaydes said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I wasn’t surprised at Ngannou. He did, definitely, what he should have done, [which] was just stand there and chuck [punches at] him, and it worked. I’m surprised that Overeem was so quick to engage in that type of action. Overeem’s a veteran, and him knowing that he doesn’t have the best chin anymore, I was a bit surprised at how eager he was [to trade].”

Tom Taylor - December 13, 2017

Yesterday morning, UFC heavyweight legend Mark Hunt took to social media with a threatening message directed at his next opponent. He did not, however, specify who that next opponent was. “You have called me out, and now I’m going to give it to you right in that big mouth of yours,” Hunt said in this post, which has since been deleted “I’m going to wrap this gift up nice and tight for you boii so you never compete again at this level. The only good thing I can say about you is you are not a spineless coward mutt like ‘Werbum’. There isn’t anything worse for me than someone who is scared to fight like ‘Werbum.’”