Athletes
Noche UFC
Curtis Blaydes | One Fight At A Time
Veteran Heavyweight Knows Not To Look Too Far Ahead, But He Is Planning A Bounce-Back Win On Saturday Night At Noche UFC.
The landscape in the UFC heavyweight division is changing with a new generation of fighters making their way up the ladder. But one constant is the presence of Curtis Blaydes, who has been a ranked contender for several years and remains focused on his goal of eventually capturing the undisputed title. Blaydes will make the walk for the 22nd time in his 10-year UFC career when he takes on fellow contender Waldo Cortes Acosta at Noche UFC in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday night. It’s another bout of significance for the 35-year-old out of Chicago, but he’s taking it all in his stride like the veteran he now is.
“At this stage, it’s just like a job. It’s just a normal thing,” he said. “We get off the plane, we do the hotel check-in, we get the snacks and stuff, and hang out… The nerves, they really don’t hit until the day of, and that’s also just a part of it. The nerves are what make me faster and make me react better. And I’ve learned [that] I don’t fight them – I just allow them to take me to who I need to be.”
Watch Every UFC Event On Paramount+
Blaydes is one of the longest-serving heavyweights in the Meta UFC rankings, and he’s set to face a fighter who has elevated himself to contender status over the last couple of years through a string of impressive performances. Cortes Acosta’s rise has been indicative of the division’s evolution over the last 18 to 24 months, and Blaydes thinks the weight class looks better for it.
“I think right now the heavyweight division's healthier than it's been in the last four or five years,” he suggested. “A lot of the OGs, they're gone, and now you got new blood, fresh matchups, matchups that we haven't already seen before, and that just adds excitement and eyes on the division. I think heavyweight’s in a good, healthy position right now.”
Blaydes is in town looking to bounce back after his defeat to Josh Hokit last time out. But there was so much more to that bout than just the result. Blaydes and Hokit banged it out in a heavyweight classic that earned Fight of the Night honors and will almost certainly be in the discussion when the Fight of the Year conversations strike up towards the end of 2026.
FIGHT WEEK INTERVIEWS: Jean Silva | Brandon Moreno | Marwan Rahiki | Alexa Grasso | Regina Tarin | Tommy McMillen
It was a thrilling matchup, and one that Blaydes was able to take some positives from, despite taking the L on the night.
Curtis Blaydes: "I Expect To Get My Hand Raised" | Noche UFC
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Curtis Blaydes: "I Expect To Get My Hand Raised" | Noche UFC
/
“The biggest takeaway is that I know I can push the pace,” he explained. “I've already known it, but seeing it and actually experiencing it and doing it just reinforces the idea that you can go. I can go… Another big takeaway is I should have gone to the body more. There's a lot of opportunities to maybe potentially get a finish, and I was too busy head-hunting, and that's what you get. You get Fight of the Year, but you don’t get the W. Those are the biggest things. I can push the pace, and I need to go to the body more.”
With lessons learned and knowledge banked, Blaydes went into camp to prepare for Cortes Acosta, who Blaydes says will bring a familiar skillset into the Octagon on fight night.
MORE NOCHE UFC: Alexa Grasso Back on the Hunt for Gold | Fighters On The Rise | Jose Miguel Delgado Everything Has Built To This Moment | Jean Silva Living In His Own Madness | Yousri Belgaroui Middleweight’s New Boogeyman
“I think Waldo's your classic athletic, explosive [heavyweight], but relies too much on just like, ‘Hey, I'm gonna knock you out. I don't need to skillfully set up anything. I'm just gonna swing and swing and swing, and eventually it's gonna land. And when it lands, I'm gonna knock you out.’” he assessed. “I'm not gonna talk s*** about it, because obviously it's worked. It's gotten him to where he is. But I've faced a decent amount of those guys, and I feel extremely confident that I have the wherewithal and the cage IQ to not give him a layup, just hands down, just no, I'm not gonna do that.
“So yeah, I feel very confident about this matchup. I believe I have the advantages in the grappling, and I believe even in the clinch, the wall fighting, I have the advantages there. So yeah, I'm confident, and I expect to get my hand raised.”
Despite his vast experience under the bright lights of the Octagon, Blaydes admits he’s still working on his mindset and said he can be too critical of himself at times. But the one thing he has learned over the course of his UFC career is that long-term career planning, especially in the heavyweight division, can be a fool’s errand.
DWCS WEEK 5 REWIND: Contract Winners + Interviews | Meet The Newest UFC Signees
“I approach every fight focused on the fight. I don't ever think about, ‘Well, if I beat this guy, then this guy…’ I don't do that, because that's a great way to set yourself up for disappointment,” he explained. “It's one of the things I've learned over the years. Sometimes it's best not to have expectations, because you can't be disappointed, and that's how I enter the fight weeks.”
It means Blayes has arrived in Glendale with his focus firmly on beating Cortes Acosta Saturday. The 25-fight vet knows what he wants for his career, and he’s prepared to beat Cortes Acosta, and anyone else the UFC puts in front of him, in order to achieve his goal.
UPCOMING UFC EVENT TICKETS: UFC Edmonton | UFC 332
“The goal is to get to the belt, because that's where the money is,” he stated. “I want money. I'm not in this for legacy or glory or none of that honorific type s***. I'm here to get money, and [I’ll fight] whoever I need to beat in order to get to the belt.
“If it's an older guy, OK. If it's a younger guy that I haven't gone against… But realistically, it'll probably be someone ranked above me, maybe [Sergei] Pavlovich, maybe [Alexander] Volkov, someone I’ve already gone against. But I'm alright with that, because I know winning over either one of those guys just moves me closer to the title, and that's what I want. That's where the money's at.”
Noche UFC: Silva vs Delgado took place live from Desert Diamond Arena In Glendale, Arizona on September 12, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags