Perennial heavyweight contender, Curtis Blaydes may very well be competing for the interim crown this weekend at UFC 304 in his rematch with gold holder, Tom Aspinall, however, he wants fans to make no bones about the claim that they’re pairing is for the real belt.
Blaydes, who currently sits at number four in the official heavyweight rankings, returns to action this weekend in Manchester, taking on home-town favorite, Aspinall in an interim title rematch – his first championship charge since landing in the UFC eight years prior.
As for Aspinall, the Atherton maestro clinched interim heavyweight spoils in a short-notice showdown at UFC 295 back in November, scoring a first round knockout win over Russian force, Sergei Pavlovich.
Curtis Blaydes claims Tom Aspinall and him are fighting for the “real” title
And in the time since, the British star has made his feelings clear regarding his pursuit of a title unification clash with Jon Jones, however, incoming opponent, Blaydes has claimed the duo are actually fighting for the “real” crown this weekend in the ‘Rainy City’.
“Yes, this is the real belt in my mind,” Curtis Blaydes told assembled media ahead of UFC 304. “In my mind, (Jon) Jones vs. Stipe (Miocic) is just their retirement fight. Not to be rude, bu they’re both one or two fights away [from ending their careers]. More than likely, this is their get-the-bag-get-out fight, which is fine. That’s how I viewed it.”
Blaydes’ claims come hot on the heels of recent comments earlier this month in which he explained how Jones was making a “smart decision” by apparently avoiding a championship fight against him.
“I wasn’t surprised (that Gane vs. Jones was booked for UFC 285),” Curtis Blaydes said. “I’ve been with the UFC for eight years now. Like, I get it,” Blaydes said. “Marketing. He’s French, which means he brings in all the fans over there. He has an aesthetically pleasing style. A lot of people don’t like wrestling, so I get that. He does all the fancy karate stance and all that. It’s easy to market his highlights versus the highlights that I have.
“Also, I think they asked Jon and were probably like, ‘Jon, do you wanna go against this guy who doesn’t know how to wrestle? Or this guy, who knows how to wrestle?’ I think he did the business, smart decision,” Blaydes continued. “I am a harder fight for him than Gane; I think a lot of guys are a harder fight for him than Gane.”
Who do you think wins at UFC 304: Tom Aspinall or Curtis Blaydes?