Heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes is gearing up for another shot at UFC gold as he prepares to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in Manchester. Despite the high stakes, Blaydes approaches fight week with his usual routine: staying low-key, avoiding fans, and focusing on his training.
The upcoming bout is a rematch of their 2022 clash in London, which ended abruptly when Aspinall suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into the fight. Reflecting on his journey since then, Blaydes acknowledges significant growth, particularly following his loss to Sergei Pavlovich and his subsequent knockout victory over rising star Jailton Almeida earlier this year in Miami.
“I think I've grown a lot since my fight against Pavlovich,” Blaydes said. “I know I grow the most after losses, so I’m not the same fighter I was a few years ago.”
Blaydes had expressed his desire to face Aspinall again, believing a win over Almeida would secure the rematch. However, he credits the fans and Aspinall’s readiness to fight for making it happen.
“I don't think anything I did got me this fight,” Blaydes admitted. “The fans make the matchups, and Tom could have waited for Jon Jones. The fans and Aspinall’s willingness were key.”
Despite the brief duration of their first fight, Blaydes believes there were valuable takeaways. “He's aggressive, but we didn’t know if he’d bring that aggression towards me because of my wrestling. Now we know he’s not worried about my wrestling.”
Since their initial encounter, Aspinall has rebounded impressively, stopping Marcin Tybura in the first round and defeating Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title in New York. Aspinall’s record is impressive, with 11 of his 14 wins coming by knockout, mirroring Blaydes’ power, who has earned 13 of his 18 wins via knockout.
Blaydes remains cautious about making predictions for the fight, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of each bout. However, the prospect of becoming a champion is a significant motivation.
With the heavyweight division in flux, awaiting Jon Jones’ return from injury, Blaydes focuses solely on the present challenge. “I'm not putting any energy into what’s next with Jon and Stipe. Getting the belt from Tom and possibly fighting Jon would be amazing, but I’m focused on the task at hand.”
For Blaydes, the location of the fight is irrelevant. “I want to beat Tom here, in Australia, on the moon; it doesn't matter where. We could be in his actual backyard. I don’t need any extra motivation. A man wants to hurt me, so I have to hurt him first.”
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