Curtis Blaydes is completely unbothered by fans that want him to recklessly exchange on the feet. Instead, he’s looking to use his grappling base and get the win with as little damage to the head as possible.
Raleigh, NC — “I hope to give them [the fans] a great performance but I don’t let them affect how I perform.” This is Curtis Blaydes’ mindset coming into every fight. Even if he is fighting in front of a home crowd, he still keeps his health and wrestling game plan as his number one priority.
Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press on Wednesday at the UFC Raleigh open workouts, ‘Razor’ touched on a bunch of topics including landing good match-ups in the UFC, his fighting style, and the UFC heavyweight title situation.
Curtis has been on the rise as of late, with a two-fight win streak beginning after his first-round loss to Francis Ngannou back in November of 2018. But, “There are no guarantees in the UFC,” Blaydes said. It’s no secret that fighters that put on shows and performances in the UFC get the best and/or most lucrative match-ups. Even with a top 5 ranking in the UFC’s heavyweight division, a win over Junior Dos Santos at UFC Raleigh doesn’t guarantee Blaydes a title shot. Because, as he put it, “You got guys like Derrick Lewis getting title shots which I don’t think he deserved.” That remark was Blaydes referring to how the fan-favorite ‘The Black Beast’ took on Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title last year after three wins in a row. And one infamous post-fight interview.
As for “fan friendly” styles, responding to a question about whether he would stand and bang with former UFC heavyweight champion Dos Santos, Blaydes exclaimed “Why would I stand and bang if I don’t have to?”
“Wrestling is part of my longevity,” he pointed out. Curtis Blaydes seems very content on sticking to his grappling background and reducing as many head shots as possible. “Until someone forces me to stand and bang, I’m not going to stand and bang.”
Curtis Blaydes faces Junior Dos Santos in the main event of UFC Raleigh, this Saturday, January 25, 2020 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The card airs live on ESPN+ (TSN in Canada).
