"Curtis Blaydes got cut" - Chael Sonnen claims UFC released 'Razor' following his knockout loss to Derrick Lewis
Chael Sonnen recently offered some insight into Curtis Blaydes' contract history with the UFC. He revealed that 'Razor' was forced to part ways with the promotion following his Derrick Lewis setback. However, the Illinois native managed to find his way back to the promotion following a short, wholesome negotiation.
Sonnen asserted that Blaydes' interaction with the UFC had been kept under wraps for an unknown reason. He revealed that the 31-year-old had tested the waters of free agency after his most recent loss at the hands of 'The Black Beast' at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis, where he was finished in the second round.
Sonnen further revealed that 'Razor' was fielding lucrative offers from other promotions. However, he hoped to find his way back under the promotional banner of the UFC, prompting his decision to accept his previous lower-paying contract over a new one from a different promotion.
"Curtis Blaydes got cut. Curtis Blaydes is no longer with the UFC, just so you understand this. Now I'm going back in time. This is after Curtis falls down against Derrick Lewis. He gets his walking papers, and he was gone. He got shopped on the open market. It was done very quietly. He had a big beautiful offer, and he made one phone call. It was a Hail Mary pass back to the organization. He didn't say you need to match it. He said, 'Guys, I'll walk away from this. I'll come back to my old contract. But this is where I want to be."
Check out Chael Sonnen's take on Blaydes' contract situation:
Curtis Blaydes hopes to remain in title contention if he beats Chris Daukaus
Curtis Blaydes is currently on a collision course with Chris Daukaus. The two are set to lock horns at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26. In a recent interaction with the media, Blaydes suggested that a win against Daukaus could propel him into title contention.
During pre-fight interviews, Blaydes offered fans some insight into his position in the title picture of the heavyweight division. The 31-year-old boasts a record of 15-3 and has conceded only one loss in his last five fights.
"He's become a name in this company now. He is highly ranked. You don't just get ranked for nothing. So yeah, a win over him, hopefully a finish over him that keeps me in title contention. Because, yeah, we don't know what's going on with [Stipe Miocic], [Jon Jones], [Ciryl Gane] and [Francis Ngannou]. There's a lot of just stagnations, so I'm just really just trying to maintain my position," said Blaydes.
Catch Blaydes' interaction with the media below: