UFC middleweight jokingly laments being mistaken for Curtis Blaydes

UFC middleweight Chris Curtis was hilariously mistaken for heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who is fighting at this weekend's UFC Fight Night 222. 'The Action Man' shared a screenshot of a personal message from a fan on Instagram, where the fan wished him luck for this weekend's event.

Chris Curtis posted the following response to the fan:

"Thank you bro, but I think you meant Curtis Blaydes"

Chris Curtis last fought at UFC 287 against Kelvin Gastelum. The fight was explosive, with many back-and-forth exchanges between 'The Action Man' and Gastelum.

While Curtis won the first round, Gastelum edged him out in the second and third rounds, thereby winning a unanimous decision victory.

Chris Curtis has excellent hand speed and combinations when it comes to striking. In his four victories in the UFC, 'The Action Man' has three knockouts over the likes of Phil Hawes, Brendan Allen and Joaquin Buckley. He has a promotional record of 4-2 and an overall MMA record of 30-10.

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Will Curtis Blaydes realize success against the dangerous Sergei Pavlovich?

The UFC Fight Night 222 main event is a very important fight for the promotion's heavyweight division. The event will be headlined by No.3-ranked Curtis Blaydes and No.4-ranked Sergei Pavlovich. Both men will be duking it out for a spot in the title-contention picture.

Pavlovich is a very dangerous fighter with only one loss in his career spanning 18 fights. In his 17 wins, 14 have come by way of knockout, while three wins have come via submission. This means that he has a 100% finishing rate in his career.

Watch some of Pavlovich's highlights below:

None of Sergei Pavlovich's fights have gone the distance, including his UFC debut against Alistair Overeem, where he lost via first-round KO. Since the defeat, Pavlovich has absolutely torn through the heavyweight division, finishing all five of his subsequent opponents in the first round.

While Pavlovich is known for his striking, he spent his childhood training in Greco-Roman wrestling. He also served in the army, where he learned hand-to-hand combat and sambo.

Meanwhile, Curtis Blaydes has an extensive background in freestyle wrestling. That said, 'Razor' has underrated striking. Blaydes has 12 career wins via KO and five decision victories.

While Blaydes has more experience fighting in the octagon, Sergei Pavlovich will be one of the biggest tests of his career. The American will have to rely on his wrestling to avoid his opponent's precise shots. However, given Pavlovich's extensive background in grappling, taking him down won't be an easy task.

Curtis Blaydes will require a water-tight game plan if he wishes to overcome the surging force that is Sergei Pavlovich. Despite the looming threat of the Russian, Blaydes has opened as a -200 favorite against the +170 underdog Pavlovich, according to bestfightodds.com.