UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes wasn't surprised to see Ciryl Gane get the call for Jon Jones' heavyweight debut last year.
Having spent three years away from the Octagon following his final defense of the light heavyweight title in 2020, Jones successfully arrived in a new weight class at UFC 285 in March 2023.
The all-time MMA great achieved his two-division ambitions by submitting former interim champion Ciryl Gane in the first round of their clash for the then-vacant heavyweight title.
Many questioned the decision to place "Bon Gamin" opposite Jones given that he boasted a sole win over Tai Tuivasa since falling short against Francis Ngannou in early 2022. Blaydes was among those branded a logical candidate by a portion of the community, with "Razor" coming off three straight wins.
But the American didn't get the opportunity, and he believes Jones' desire for a more comfortable heavyweight debut played a part in that...
Blaydes: A Lot Of Heavyweights 'Would Have Been Harder' For Jones Than Gane
During an interview with ESPN MMA's Andreas Hale, Blaydes looked back on his path to the title shot that awaits him at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, this Saturday night, including the snub he received for the vacant championship bout that followed Ngannou's exit.
"Razor" insisted that the decision to go a different route for Jones' first foray into the weight class was not a shock, both down to the marketing edge for French star Gane and the increased difficulty he has no doubt the light heavyweight legend would have had against him at UFC 285.
I wasn't surprised (that UFC booked Gane vs. Jones). I've been with the UFC for eight years now. Like, I get it," Blaydes said. "Marketing. He's French, which means he brings in all the fans over there. He has an aesthetically pleasing style. A lot of people don't like wrestling, so I get that. He does all the fancy karate stance and all that. It's easy to market his highlights versus the highlights that I have.
Also, i think they asked Jon and were probably like, 'Jon, do you wanna go against this guy who doesn't know how to wrestle? Or this guy, who knows how to wrestle?' I think he did the business, smart decision," Blaydes continued. "I am a harder fight for him than Gane; I think a lot of guys are a harder fight for him than Gane.
With the chance to win the interim belt this weekend, the state of the division would suggest that a Jones fight would be back on the cards for Blaydes given the Rochester native's status as the other heavyweight titleholder.
But with both Jones and the UFC remaining firm on him facing the returning Stipe Miocic instead of unifying the titles, as well as "Razor's" belief that the champ will likely retire soon after, the UFC 304 co-main event challenger doesn't see any chance of that coming to fruition.
And that's despite Jones seemingly expecting Blaydes to occupy the throne adjacent to him soon enough.