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This weekend sees Curtis Blaydes take on Chris Daukaus in the headline bout of the UFC’s latest Fight Night event. With a win, ‘Razor’ could well find himself back in heavyweight title contention.
Curtis Blaydes might not be the most popular heavyweight fighter on the UFC roster, but is there an argument that he’s the division’s most underrated combatant?
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The answer is almost certainly yes, as Blaydes remains one of the most dangerous big men in the promotion. At his best, he has the ability to beat any heavyweight.
Here are five reasons why 'Razor' Blaydes is the UFC’s most underrated heavyweight fighter.
#5. Curtis Blaydes is still very young for a heavyweight
Over the years, the UFC’s heavyweight division has become known as a country for old men of sorts. That isn’t an insult, of course. It simply seems to be a fact that bigger fighters take longer to mature and, perhaps due to their slower speed, can fight for longer than their smaller counterparts.
Right now, for instance, the heavyweight division’s top ten features a number of older fighters, including Stipe Miocic (39 years old), Derrick Lewis (37) and Marcin Tybura (36). Even reigning champion Francis Ngannou is set to turn 36 in September.
That means that at the age of just 31, Curtis Blaydes probably hasn’t even hit his prime yet, despite being a major player in the heavyweight division since his debut in the octagon in 2016.
For comparison’s sake, at the same age, Miocic had just five UFC bouts to his name, while Ngannou had only just taken out his first high-end opponent in the form of Andrei Arlovski.
Blaydes, on the other hand, has already had 14 bouts in the octagon and holds major wins over a former UFC champion in Junior dos Santos, as well as other standouts like Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Essentially, then, based on his age, it’s quite probable that Blaydes is only going to get better. When you consider how good his skills already are, it’s safe to say that he’ll probably be a title contender for some time – despite some fans underrating him.
#4. Curtis Blaydes’ losses should not be a source of shame to him
The major stick used by doubters to beat Curtis Blaydes with is the fact that he has three losses under his belt in the UFC and all of them came via knockout or TKO. However, should ‘Razor’ really be ashamed of those losses?
The answer is almost certainly no. Those three losses came at the hands of just two fighters – current UFC heavyweight kingpin Francis Ngannou and former title challenger Derrick Lewis.
More importantly, his first loss against Ngannou came via doctor’s stoppage after his eye was swollen shut, meaning that unlike highly-regarded fighters such as Cain Velasquez and Stipe Miocic, he was able to avoid being knocked out by ‘The Predator’.
Sure, his second bout against Ngannou did see him knocked out, as did his fight with Lewis in 2021. However, the two men are arguably the hardest-hitting pair of heavyweights in the world right now, with Lewis actually holding the UFC’s record number of knockouts with 13.
So, given that he’s beaten all of his other opponents, fans should not write Curtis Blaydes off simply because he was stopped by two heavy-handed foes. At the end of the day, he isn’t the only fighter to lose to ‘The Predator’ and ‘The Black Beast’, and he won’t be the last.
#3. Curtis Blaydes has an excellent record with a number of great wins
When you actually look at his record, it seems baffling that Curtis Blaydes isn’t far more highly rated by the fans than he seems to be. Even without looking deep into it, an overall record of 15-3 with one no contest is tremendous, particularly with 14 of those fights coming in the UFC.
However, look below the surface and it’s simply impossible to deny that Blaydes has a truly excellent record with a number of great wins over highly-regarded opposition.
‘Razor’ showed flashes of excellence in his octagon debut, even in a losing effort against Francis Ngannou. After running over lower-level foes like Cody East and Daniel Omielanczuk, it didn’t take long for the UFC to push him up the ladder.
Blaydes did not fail to disappoint in his step up, defeating much more experienced veterans like Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt to entrench himself firmly in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division.
Essentially, ‘Razor’ has victories over a former UFC champion (Junior dos Santos), two former title challengers (Hunt and Overeem) and three more perennial contenders (Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov and Alexei Oleinik).
That’s a great record, however you look at it, meaning that the fact that he doesn’t seem to be considered a top-level contender right now makes him highly underrated.
#2. Curtis Blaydes is a horrible match for a number of the UFC’s top heavyweights
While his fighting style isn’t always that fan-friendly – five of his 10 octagon wins have come via decision, including his last two five-round victories – it’s safe to say that Curtis Blaydes’ style could be seen as kryptonite for a number of his heavyweight rivals.
After all, of the other fighters currently entrenched in the UFC’s top 10, who could stop his takedowns? Stipe Miocic might have the wrestling ability, while Francis Ngannou appears to be capable based on his most recent bouts.
Outside of those two, however, the likes of Tai Tuivasa and Ciryl Gane could well find themselves up against it in a battle with ‘Razor’, while he’s already beaten Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
While Derrick Lewis knocked Blaydes out in their fight in 2021, it’s probably fair to say that with a more careful gameplan, ‘Razor’ could definitely win a rematch with ‘The Black Beast’.
Therefore, given that his style could definitely lead him to wins over the majority of the UFC’s other heavyweights, it’s probably not a stretch to suggest that he’s largely underrated by the fans, some of whom seem to have largely written him off.
#1. Curtis Blaydes is the best wrestler in the UFC heavyweight division
When it comes to the best wrestler to ever compete in the UFC’s heavyweight division, some obvious names instantly come to mind.
Old-school fans might name Dan Severn, Mark Coleman or Randy Couture, while younger fans would probably point to Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar. Despite the majority of his big wins coming on the feet, Stipe Miocic would probably be in the conversation, too.
Strangely, many fans would probably fail to name Curtis Blaydes among those fighters, despite the fact that there’s an argument for him being not only the best wrestler in the division right now, but the best in the division’s history, period.
No heavyweight in UFC history has landed more takedowns than Blaydes, who has delivered a total of 62 during his 14-fight career with the promotion. In fact, he has nearly double the total of his nearest competitor, Cain Velasquez, who delivered 34 during his octagon tenure.
More to the point, Blaydes lands his takedowns at a 53.9% success rate, meaning that whenever he attempts to ground an opponent, it usually works. In fact, only Ngannou, in his second fight with ‘Razor’, and Derrick Lewis were able to stop him.
Given the success that high-level wrestlers tend to have in the UFC, it’s baffling that fans don’t seem to see Blaydes as a clear title contender right now, making him the heavyweight division’s most underrated star.
