"He destroyed me" - Curtis Blaydes recalls experience of sparring sessions with Stipe Miocic

Curtis Blaydes issued a very respectful callout to Stipe Miocic after his victory over Chris Daukaus in the main event of UFC Columbus.

After the fight, Blaydes had no qualms with talking about how much of a better fighter Miocic was compared to himself. 'Razor' recalled how his sparring sessions went with the man he considers the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time. During the post-fight press conference, Blaydes shared:

"We worked out together years ago back when I was not very good. He destroyed me every sparring. I have no awesome sparring stories. He was levels and levels about me."

Blaydes apparently helped Miocic prepare for his fight against Gabriel Gonzaga in 2014. It was two years before Miocic captured the heavyweight title against Fabricio Werdum.

The two men have since had very different career trajectories. Miocic went on to become the most decorated UFC heavyweight champion, while Blaydes rose as a top contender himself.

Check out Curtis Blaydes' comments about training with Stipe Miocic:

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"I may have to beat you" - Curtis Blaydes respectfully calls out Stipe Miocic at UFC Columbus

With undisputed heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou likely missing octagon action for about nine months due to recovery, the UFC is expected to crown an interim titleholder. Curtis Blaydes, who has won 10 out of his last 12 fights, believes he deserves to fight either Stipe Miocic or Ciryl Gane for that belt.

During his octagon post-fight interview, Blaydes called the attention of the former heavyweight champ, who was seated front row. He said:

"I wanna be just like you, Stipe. That means I may have to beat you, but I definitely respect the hell out of you. You're one of the best in the world, best of all time in the division. I respect the hell out of you."

Watch the callout below:

Blaydes elaborated on his callout during the post-event presser. The Illinois native said he believes Miocic deserved an immediate championship rematch against Ngannou. However, he added that he would welcome an interim title fight with the former champ, stating:

"In my opinion, he is the GOAT of this heavyweight division. He honestly deserved a rematch [with Francis Ngannou] a while ago. But if he's willing to risk it against me, and I beat him... a title shot would be next for me."