5 reasons why Curtis Blaydes deserves more respect than he gets from the fans

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes deserves far more respect than he currently gets

This weekend sees the UFC travel to London, England for its latest Fight Night card. In the headliner, heavyweight standout Curtis Blaydes is set to face UK favorite Tom Aspinall.

Curtis Blaydes will be heading into hostile territory for his fight with Tom Aspinall, but if he wins, will he finally earn the respect he deserves?

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It’s a genuine question mark, as ever since he arrived in the UFC in 2016, ‘Razor’ has somehow been largely overlooked by the fans despite his massive talent.

Here are five reasons why Curtis Blaydes deserves more respect than he gets from the fans.

#5. Curtis Blaydes is not actually a boring fighter to watch

Curtis Blaydes does not deserve a reputation as a dull fighter

The big knock on Curtis Blaydes tends to be that he isn’t an exciting fighter to watch. Even UFC president Dana White has criticized his approach before, slating him after his 2020 victory over Alexander Volkov for 'talking sh*t and not backing it up' inside the octagon.

Dana White on Blaydes: "I don't have anything against the kid, but when you talk shit like he talked this week, you'd better come in and whoop someone's ass."

However, to label ‘Razor’ a boring fighter is pretty ridiculous, especially when his overall record is taken into account.

Blaydes has been part of the UFC’s roster now for just over six years, after debuting against Francis Ngannou in April 2016. Since that time, he’s stepped into the octagon on 15 occasions, putting together a record of 11-3 with one No Contest.

Of his 11 wins, only five have gone the distance, with the other fights being finished via KO or TKO. More to the point, when he has stopped his opponents, Blaydes hasn’t overwhelmed them with volume.

Instead, he’s utterly smashed them to pieces, landing standing knockouts on three opponents and battering the rest with some of the most brutal ground-and-pound ever seen in the octagon.

Sure, his takedown-heavy wins over Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik weren’t the most explosive showings, but they were still dominant wins over top opponents, and every fighter is entitled to the odd off-night.

Therefore, it’s just not true to label Blaydes a dull fighter. If any fans try to claim that he is, they should be shown clips of his vicious finishes of Junior dos Santos and Chris Daukaus on loop.

#4. Curtis Blaydes is the best wrestler in the history of the UFC’s heavyweight division

'Razor' Blaydes is the most successful takedown artist in the history of the heavyweight division

The UFC’s heavyweight division has been home to some of the most notable wrestlers in MMA history, from pioneers like Mark Coleman, Dan Severn and Randy Couture to more modern-day takedown artists like Cain Velasquez and Stipe Miocic.

However, from a statistical point of view, Curtis Blaydes stands above them all as the most successful wrestler in the history of the heavyweight division.

During his 15-fight octagon career, ‘Razor’ has averaged a total of 6.06 takedowns per fight, planting 10 of his opponents on the mat at least once. More importantly, he also holds numerous UFC records for his wrestling ability.

Blaydes has landed a record 62 takedowns during his time in the octagon, nearly doubling the output of the next most successful takedown artist, Velasquez, who managed 34.

‘Razor’ also holds the record for the most takedowns completed in a single heavyweight bout, as he was somehow able to ground Alexander Volkov 14 times in their 2020 clash. For comparison’s sake, the UFC’s overall record for takedowns landed in a single fight belongs to Khabib Nurmagomedov – a lightweight – who landed 21 on Abel Trujillo.

Curtis Blaydes recorded 14 takedowns in his win over Alexander Volkov. That is the most takedowns in a fight in UFC heavyweight history.

Tonight's win is Blaydes' 9th UFC heavyweight victory, tied for 2nd-most in the division since 2016, behind only Derrick Lewis (10). https://t.co/XTpqq76axs

Overall, being able to stand out above the likes of Velasquez, Miocic and Couture in any single area makes a fighter very special indeed, meaning that Blaydes ought to warrant much more respect than he gets.

#3. At the age of 31, Curtis Blaydes might not have peaked yet

At the age of 31, 'Razor' may still be improving his skills

Given that the majority of the UFC’s most successful heavyweights tend to peak in their late 30s these days, it’s remarkable to think that while he’s been hugely successful thus far, we might not have seen the best of Curtis Blaydes just yet.

When ‘Razor’ debuted in the octagon back in April 2016, he was only 25 years old, meaning that he’s only just turned 31 now. To have 15 bouts in the UFC under his belt already, then, is truly phenomenal – especially when you consider he hasn’t taken too much damage over that time.

Essentially, there’s every chance that Blaydes might still be improving his overall game. That idea is something that can be backed up when you consider how much his stand-up has come along during his tenure with the UFC.

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More importantly, of the current top 10 ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, only two – Tom Aspinall and Tai Tuivasa – are younger than Blaydes, with the likes of Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis nearing 40 years old and Stipe Miocic already there.

Essentially, ‘Razor’ could continue to sit at or near the top of the heavyweight division for another decade yet – meaning that the fact that he’s been so successful already warrants a lot of respect.

#2. Curtis Blaydes has only ever lost to two fighters

Nobody should look down upon Blaydes' defeats to Francis Ngannou

Given the list of opponents he’s faced during his six-year tenure with the UFC, the fact that Curtis Blaydes has only ever lost to two fighters is a genuinely major achievement.

Blaydes fell in his octagon debut to Francis Ngannou, but was able to avoid being outright knocked out. Instead, the cageside doctor was forced to call a halt to the bout due to Blaydes’ eye being swollen shut, despite the fact that he’d actually had some success against ‘The Predator’.

His other two losses – to Ngannou in a rematch and to Derrick Lewis – didn’t go so well, as both fights saw ‘Razor’ knocked unconscious before he could really make an impact against them.

Curtis Blaydes' head is "still held high" after his loss to Derrick Lewis.

(via @RazorBlaydes265) https://t.co/pK3MGxh4VE

However, Ngannou and Lewis are amongst the most brutal power-punchers to ever step into the octagon, and they have the ability to knock out any foe they come up against. Simply put, there should be no judgment on Blaydes for losing to either man.

In truth, the fact that ‘Razor’ avoided being outright knocked out by Ngannou in his first meeting with him is something that should be admired in itself. The criticism of a questionable chin that often gets levied at him is somewhat unfair.

Basically, any fighter could be knocked out by Ngannou or Lewis – meaning that Blaydes should not receive any disrespect for this.

#1. Curtis Blaydes has picked up some huge wins in his UFC career

Curtis Blaydes has picked up some huge wins in his UFC tenure, including over Junior Dos Santos

The biggest reason why Curtis Blaydes deserves more respect than he tends to get from the fans is that he’s put together one of the most outstanding records in the UFC’s heavyweight division, not just in the current era, but overall too.

Blaydes’ record of 11-3-1 is outstanding in itself (and would look even better had his win over Adam Milstead not been overturned due to Texas’ questionable rules around marijuana use), but it’s the list of opponents he’s beaten that make it most impressive.

Blaydes has wins over a former UFC heavyweight champion in Junior dos Santos, two former title challengers – and overall legends – in Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt, and victories over three of the current top ten in Chris Daukaus, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov.

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When you add in impressive wins over Alexei Oleinik and Justin Willis – who were both considered genuine contenders when ‘Razor’ beat them – as well as the fact that he has finished six of his opponents, it’s hard to overlook what he’s achieved.

Essentially, outside of winning the UFC heavyweight title, Blaydes has done everything to be considered a genuine great. In that sense, he deserves far more respect than he gets from the fans.