Tag: Curtis Blaydes

Aspinall: Blaydes Is Stylistically The Toughest Fight In The Division For Me

UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall is expecting to be in the toughest matchup possible when he returns to action against Curtis Blaydes this summer. In just five fights, Aspinall has grown from a promising prospect to a bonafide contender in the UFC’s heaviest weight class. After impressive finishes of Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, and former champion…

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UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall is expecting to be in the toughest matchup possible when he returns to action against Curtis Blaydes this summer.

In just five fights, Aspinall has grown from a promising prospect to a bonafide contender in the UFC’s heaviest weight class. After impressive finishes of Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, and former champion Andrei Arlovski established his name in the Octagon, his most recent appearances have cemented his place high up the ladder.

First came a co-main event TKO of Sergey Spivak at UFC Vegas 36 last September. When that secured him a steep step-up in competition, the Manchester native was unfazed. Headlining the UFC’s first trip to London since 2019, Aspinall thrilled his home crowd by submitting former Bellator titleholder and six-time UFC main-eventer Alexander Volkov.

Now, as he prepares for a second consecutive main event in front of his adoring home fans, Aspinall is fully aware of the challenge in front of him.

Aspinall Relishes “Toughest” Challenge Blaydes

On July 23, the UFC will be returning to The O2 in London for its second UK-held card of the year. Among the many returning victors from the March 19 card will be Aspinall, who will be at the very top of the slate, where he’s been matched up with #4-ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Aspinall suggested that Blaydes, who is renowned for his impressive wrestling abilities and improving standup game, is the toughest opponent in the division for him when it comes to style.

“Do you want my honest opinion? Curtis Blaydes is probably the toughest fight in the division for me, stylistically,” said Aspinall. “But, I’m okay with that, because it’ll push me to a whole new level. Mate, that pushes me to levels I’ve never been before, and that’s what I need.

“If I’m with somebody who’s gonna make me comfortable, I’m gonna stay exactly where I am and do the exact same work that I’ve been doing. If you’re gonna give me someone I think is a scary fight, you’re gonna give me fear and you don’t wanna see me scared because I end up doing stuff like I did in The O2 the last time I fought,” added Aspinall. “I end up doing some crazy stuff that no-one’s ever done before.”

Given that some believe Blaydes is again inching closer to a title shot, a victory over the American would place Aspinall in a solid position when it comes to the championship conversation.

With Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic expected to collide in September, perhaps with interim gold on the line, the Englishman will be looking to place himself in and around the two legends with a second London triumph on July 23.

Do you agree with Tom Aspinall’s assessment? If Curtis Blaydes his toughest stylistic matchup?

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Report | Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes Headlines UFC London On July 23.

Tom AspinallA heavyweight main event for UFC Fight Night London on July 23. has been set – with surging promotional-perfect contender, the #6 ranked contender, and recent UFC Columbus main event winner, the #4 rated, Curtis Blaydes set to meet in a headlining slot. The O2 Arena in London, England will host the promotion’s second outing […]

Tom Aspinall

A heavyweight main event for UFC Fight Night London on July 23. has been set – with surging promotional-perfect contender, the #6 ranked contender, and recent UFC Columbus main event winner, the #4 rated, Curtis Blaydes set to meet in a headlining slot. The O2 Arena in London, England will host the promotion’s second outing in the country’s capital this year.

Headlining UFC London back in March, Atherton favorite, Tom Aspinall managed to land his fifth organizational victory since his July 2020 landing in the promotion, stopping common-foe, Alexander Volkov with a rather straightforward first round straight armbar victory.

For Blaydes, the former Juco national champion lodged his second consecutive victory to inch closer to title contention back in the main event of UFC Fight Night Columbus in March, stopping Chris Daukaus with a second round knockout. The victory earned Blaydes a Performance of the Night bonus. Ariel Helwani was first to report the main event bout between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes. 

12-2 as a professional, Team Kaobon staple, Tom Aspinall had managed to enjoy a run of two straight wins last year – stopping Sergey Spivak with a relatively comprehensive first round knockout at UFC Vegas 36 last September. Aspinall also submitted former heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski – adding the Belarusian veteran to prior UFC wins against both Alan Baudot, and Jake Collier.

16-3(1) as a professional, prior to his knockout success against Daukaus, Blaydes rebounded from a crushing knockout loss to Derrick Lewis with a unanimous decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik on the main card of UFC 265 back in September of last year. 

Amongst his other Octagon victories, the experienced wrestler, Blaydes, has also bested the likes of Alexey Oleynik, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Junior dos Santos, and the above mentioned, Volkov.

Darren Till, a teammate of Tom Aspinall, is expected to co-headline the event

A co-main event bout between one-time welterweight title challenger turned middleweight contender, Darren Till, and former Cage Warriors titleholder, Jack Hermansson has also been verbally agreed to for the event, after the duo teased a summer UK showdown earlier this week.

“UFC London, our source tell us Jack Hermansson vs. Darren Till has verbally agreed to fight at UFC London on 23 July!” MMANYTT posted on Twitter.

Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall To Headline July 23 UFC London Card

Tom Aspinall will get his second consecutive UK headliner, this time facing top-5 heavyweight Curtis Blaydes. On March 19, the MMA leader took over The O2 in England’s capital. On the show were some of the best fighters the UK has to offer, and boy did they deliver. From Muhammad Mokaev’s memorable debut and Tom…

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall To Headline July 23 UFC London Card at MMA News.

Tom Aspinall will get his second consecutive UK headliner, this time facing top-5 heavyweight Curtis Blaydes.

On March 19, the MMA leader took over The O2 in England’s capital. On the show were some of the best fighters the UK has to offer, and boy did they deliver.

From Muhammad Mokaev’s memorable debut and Tom Aspinall’s main event submission to a showcase of Liverpudlian talent courtesy of Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett, UFC London will certainly be in the discussion for ‘Event of the Year’ come the end of 2022.

Now, the city will have the chance to add a second blockbuster event to the discussion in a few months’ time.

On Thursday, the promotion officially confirmed that the second iteration of UFC London in 2022 is indeed set for July 23, with tickets slated to go on sale late next month.

Saturday, multiple sources confirmed Ariel Helwani’s report that Aspinall will be facing Curtis Blaydes to headline the event.

Aspinall is ranked #6 after his submission victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC London. His upcoming opponent, #4-ranked Curtis Blaydes has won two straight fights, including a very impressive TKO victory over Chris Daukaus last month to take home Performance of the Night.

This announcement comes shortly after news broke of Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa meeting this fall. Jon Jones has also hinted at a fight against Stipe Miocic in September. With this pairing between Aspinall and Blaydes now locked in, there is now a clear direction for the heavyweight contenders as champion Francis Ngannou recovers from knee surgery.

Elsewhere on this card, Mokaev and McCann, who both had their hand raised on the memorable March 19 card, both look set to feature again. The Dagestani-Brit’s sophomore outing is already confirmed for July 23 and will see him go up against promotional newcomer Charles Johnson.

Meanwhile, “Meatball” Molly teased her own return on Instagram earlier this week. After revealing she’d “got the call, signed the contract,” the Liverpool native told fans she’d see them at the end of July.

Also, English bantamweight prospect Nathaniel Wood, who was pulled from the previous UFC London card after both Liudivik Sholinian and replacement opponent Vince Morales withdrew, looks set to finally make his walk in front of his home crowd. The 28-year-old recently posted training footage on social media, with a caption that simply said, “July.”

Are you excited for the UFC’s second trip to London this year on July 23?

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall To Headline July 23 UFC London Card at MMA News.

Quote: Curtis Blaydes Could Be HW Champ In Any Promotion In The World

Curtis Blaydes has yet to fight for UFC gold, but Bellator commentator and former referee John McCarthy believes ‘Razor’ would be a champ in any promotion right now. Blaydes has been known for his wrestling and has been dominant in that, but in the main event of UFC Columbus, he showed off his striking. He…

Continue Reading Quote: Curtis Blaydes Could Be HW Champ In Any Promotion In The World at MMA News.

Curtis Blaydes has yet to fight for UFC gold, but Bellator commentator and former referee John McCarthy believes ‘Razor’ would be a champ in any promotion right now.

Blaydes has been known for his wrestling and has been dominant in that, but in the main event of UFC Columbus, he showed off his striking. He was taking on Chris Daukaus and did not shoot for one takedown and ended up getting a second-round TKO.

John McCarthy believes this latest performance proves just how good Blaydes is.

“Curtis has the ability to become the heavyweight champion anywhere. He’s got a lot of skill. he is that good,” McCarthy said on his Weighing In podcast (via Sportskeeda). “He has got good wrestling, he’s got good standup, he’s a smart guy. Curtis Blaydes is, you know one fight away from being a champion. Should he leave UFC, no, not if that’s what, you know, he wants to be and everything., one thing I say with him is, I don’t believe that Curtis should change his style, change his approach to fighting.”

Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes (Image Credit: Yifan Ding/Getty Images for UFC)

Although John McCarthy says Curtis Blaydes would be a heavyweight champion anywhere, some may disagree. That is due to the fact he has been knocked out twice by Francis Ngannou who is the current UFC champ, so it’s unlikely he will get a third shot anytime soon. He also suffered a KO loss to Derrick Lewis who has fallen out as the top contender, so that too, will hurt his chances of fighting for the belt soon.

However, there is no doubting Blaydes’ skillset as he is a phenomenal wrestler and has shown off improved striking. Also, at 31 years old, he still has time on his side.

Blaydes has also displayed KO power, which is a frightening thought considering he can take his opponent down and maul them or stand and trade and find the stoppage that way.

With that in mind, Blaydes has a legitimate shot at beating any heavyweight in the world as McCarthy says.

Do you agree with John McCarthy that Curtis Blaydes is a heavyweight champion in any promotion?

Continue Reading Quote: Curtis Blaydes Could Be HW Champ In Any Promotion In The World at MMA News.

Blaydes: UFC Had A Right To Be Frustrated With Me After Pay Remarks

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes has admitted regret over some of his past comments on the polarizing fighter pay debate. While stories come and go each week in the sport of MMA, one constant is the discussion about fighter remuneration in the sport’s premier promotion. The likes of Jake Paul, Francis Ngannou, and Luke Rockhold…

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UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes has admitted regret over some of his past comments on the polarizing fighter pay debate.

While stories come and go each week in the sport of MMA, one constant is the discussion about fighter remuneration in the sport’s premier promotion.

The likes of Jake Paul, Francis Ngannou, and Luke Rockhold have all been vocal in their criticisms of the UFC. Others, including Valentina Shevchenko, Kevin Holland, and Chris Daukaus, have supported the organization.

One man who appeared to join the side of the argument calling for change back in 2020 was Blaydes. Prior to his headline clash with Alexander Volkov, “Razor” made his feelings known on the matter, insisting the “money is there” to pay fighters adequately.

“I don’t want to hear all those excuses, the money is there,” Blaydes told CBS Sports. “I don’t want to hear the excuses. Even if you just bumped us up to like 29% of revenue, that would be a giant raise for guys. I don’t want to hear that. If you don’t want to pay us, just say you don’t want to give us the money. Just say that and don’t make excuses like, ‘I don’t know where it’s going to come from.’ It’s like, bro, don’t do that. Don’t disrespect our intelligence like that. We are worth more. If you don’t want to pay us, just say that and we can make our own informed decisions.”

Despite his five-round victory over the Russian, Blaydes was slated by Dana White, with the UFC President claiming the Illinois native “looked stupid” for not backing up his fight week talk inside the Octagon.

Unsurprisingly, some fans and pundits connected some dots and came to the conclusion White’s comments derived from his anger towards Blaydes’ assessment of fighter pay.

But despite many agreeing with Blaydes’ sentiment and speaking out in a similar fashion since, the top-five heavyweight contender appears to have had a change of heart.

Blaydes: “I’m Just Happy I Got A Job”

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Blaydes looked back on his original comments and the subsequent response.

When asked whether he felt “iced” out following his decision to voice his less-than-positive take on the UFC’s pay structure, Blaydes admitted the promotion was annoyed. However, in Blaydes’ mind, the UFC’s frustrations were justified.

“Well, yes. They were frustrated with me, and they had every right to be,” said Blaydes. “Me speaking on the pay, I’m just happy I got a job. I had a job during Covid. A lot of people didn’t have that opportunity. I was still able to earn and provide for my family. So I get that.”

It’s hard to pinpoint where Blaydes’ latest comments stem from. Some will undoubtedly suggest pressure from the promotion and a desire to climb towards heavyweight gold, especially following his successful return to the main event spotlight last weekend, may have played a part.

On the flip side, the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on families and individuals across the world, especially financially, may have simply brought a change in perspective for the 31-year-old.

What did you make of Curtis Blaydes’ original comments on fighter pay? Are you surprised by his latest remarks?

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EXCLUSIVE | Curtis Blaydes Reacts To The Joe Rogan ‘N-Word’ Controversy

Curtis BlaydesCurtis Blaydes has given his thoughts on the latest goings-on surrounding UFC commentator and popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, who has found himself in hot water as of late. Rogan first faced backlash for spreading what many believe to be COVID-19 misinformation on his show. More recently, he was forced to apologize after a compilation of him using a racial […]

Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Blaydes has given his thoughts on the latest goings-on surrounding UFC commentator and popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, who has found himself in hot water as of late.

Rogan first faced backlash for spreading what many believe to be COVID-19 misinformation on his show. More recently, he was forced to apologize after a compilation of him using a racial slur appeared online. The 54-year-old took to social media to say sorry for his past use of the word, he said.

“I know that, to most people, there’s no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast. And I agree with that now. I haven’t said it in years. But for a long time when I would bring that word up, like if it would come up in conversation, instead of saying ‘the n-word’ I would just say the word. I thought as long as it was in context, people would understand what I was doing.

“I never used it to be racist because I’m not racist, but whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say, ‘I’m not racist,’ you f*cked up. And I clearly have f*cked up.” 

Curtis Blaydes Is Cool With Joe Rogan

Blaydes recently spoke with James Lynch of LowKickMMA about his feelings about the Rogan situation which he feels was a bit over the top.

“I believe it was a bit of overkill,” Blaydes said. “I think everyone wants to show how woke they are and it’s admirable. Like, I get it, but sometimes it’s not that big of a deal.

As a black man, Blaydes would prefer Rogan or any other white person avoids using the N-word but he understands that doesn’t always happen. So then, it becomes a case of asking, ‘Is this person trying to insult or offend me?’

“I don’t want Joe Rogan or really any Caucasians to use the N-word but I know it happens,” Blaydes said. “I know some people use it the same way I use, as a term of endearment or they are just saying it off a rap song. It’s all about how you say it. Like, are you intending on hurting my feelings?”

‘Razor’ thinks Rogan should stop using the word but says he holds no hard feelings towards the long-time UFC commentator as it’s clear he meant no harm.

“I think he was just using the word. He shouldn’t use the word again,” Blaydes concluded. “I don’t think he should be using it but I don’t think he’s racist and I don’t think he was intending on hurting anyone’s feelings. So, I’m not angry. I stay by Joe Rogan.”

What do you make of Curtis Blaydes’ take on the Joe Rogan controversy?