Curtis Blaydes | Back With Something To Prove

“It’s almost disrespectful,” Blaydes said. “He’s 6’1, 235 [pounds], and he has a sloppy overhand into a head outside single leg that I’m going to see from a mile away.”

“I’m the wrestler. I have the most takedowns in heavyweight history.”

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When Blaydes first received the offer to fight Hokit, he didn’t even know who he was, not even realizing the Californian fought Blaydes’ own teammate Denzel Freeman in his latest UFC fight.

“My thoughts were: ‘Who is this guy,’” Blaydes said. “Also, I’ll take the money. I knew otherwise I’d have to wait a little longer and we’re trying to make some moves this year.”

Playing the role of veteran is something Blaydes has grown more comfortable with over the last few years, entering most matchups as the more experienced fighter. Last time out, he faced Rizvan Kuniev, a prospect unbeaten in his previous 11 fights. Despite entering that fight injured, Blaydes prevailed and reinforced his standing among the division’s top contenders.

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“I’m just happy my knees are healthy again,” he said. “That was a major factor in my confidence heading into [my last] fight. I entered that fight with two partially torn meniscuses… Removing that, I feel great… I should’ve smashed that guy.”

After breaking down Hokit’s fights, a skill he’s honed more and more through his Twitch channel where he reviews finishes with fellow UFC stars like Cory Sandhagen, Dominick Reyes and Drew Dober, Blaydes is confident he knows exactly how the fight will play out.

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“He’s gonna be spastic; he’s gonna be hunting the takedowns,” Blaydes said. “We’re sprawling and brawling every time he attempts. Almost like the Petr Yan vs Merab [rematch]. Every time Merab went for a shot, it wasn’t just Yan defending, he defended and ‘pop, pop, pop,’ to make Merab go, ‘I didn’t get the takedown and I got popped up.’ It’s also at bantamweight; they can’t hurt each other. We can. I do that two or three times, he’s going to be discouraged.”

Outside the cage, Hokit’s antics have drawn attention from both fans and critics alike. His social media presence, media interviews, and performances inside the Octagon have made him hard to ignore as he works his way up the UFC heavyweight division but also makes Blaydes even more determined to let his performance do the talking.

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“There’s Chael Sonnen, he’s like the OG, then it goes [Conor] McGregor, Colby [Covington] and now I guess we got Hokit,” Blaydes said. “Each copy of a copy, the iteration gets a little weaker, and I think this is what we’re getting. It’s worked for him. He got a Top 5 opponent on a main card, so it’s worked for him up until a point. I think when you put more energy into your skills on the mic as opposed to your skills in the cage, eventually it’s going to come back and bite you in the a**, and I think that’s what’s happening this weekend.”