Nina-Marie Daniele lauds "great role model" Curtis Blaydes after latter shares experience at fundraising event for stuttering

Over the past few years, Curtis Blaydes has openly embraced his speech impediment to become a spokesman for people with stuttering. Recently, the American Institute for Stuttering recognized Blaydes at a fundraising event for his role in the community.

Blaydes celebrated his recognition with an Instagram post while thanking American actress Emily Blunt for inviting him. 'Razor' included a clip of his speech at the event while saying he "can't wait" to attend another event.

Many members of the MMA community applauded Blaydes for his act, including UFC influencer Nina-Marie Daniele. 'Nina Drama' called the heavyweight a "great role model," commenting:

"You are such a bad a** and a great role model to [so] many!"

Nina-Marie Daniele's comment on Curtis Blaydes' Instagram post. [via @razorblaydes265 on Instagram]

Daniele was not alone, as Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Karen Bryant and Kennedy Nzechukwu all praised the 33-year-old for his humanitarian actions.

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How did Curtis Blaydes develop a stutter?

Of the hundreds of fighters currently on the UFC roster, Curtis Blaydes is the most notable athlete with a well-known speech impediment. For practically his entire life, Blaydes has dealt with a stutter that he has admitted has routinely affected him but has embraced it as a part of himself.

Blaydes has spoken out about the condition, saying that he is no longer ashamed of it and desires to be a spokesperson and role model for younger kids dealing with the same issue. The former interim title challenger was also clear that the impediment is hereditary and not a result of CTE, which he says is a common fan rumor.

Whenever asked, Blaydes is always open to helping others who struggle with speech impediments, encouraging such people to reach out to him if they desire.

After 18 fights in the Octagon, 'Razor' finally got his shot at a UFC title at UFC 304 but lost to interim champion Tom Aspinall by first-round knockout. The former collegiate wrestler is now 1-2 in his last three fights but is still No. 5 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.