Curtis Blaydes is content with making his detractors unhappy as long as he’s getting the job done.
Blaydes stepped inside the Octagon on Saturday night (June 20). He went one-on-one with former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. Ahead of the fight, Blaydes said he would “ragdoll” Volkov. Blaydes ended up being mostly dominant against his opponent, setting a record for most takedowns in a fight by a heavyweight in the UFC. Blaydes won the fight via unanimous decision but UFC president Dana White had harsh words for “Razor.”
Curtis Blaydes Wants To Play Heel Role
After the fight, White told reporters that Blaydes looked “stupid” for saying he’d “ragdoll” Volkov and complaining about fighter pay only to lose steam later in the fight. While White didn’t sound pleased with Blaydes’ performance, the number three ranked UFC heavyweight is happy with his victory. Here’s what he told media members (h/t MMAJunkie).
“I know who I am now,” Blaydes told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN 11 post-fight news conference. “I’m the heel. You don’t like what I do? I like to make you mad. I like to win. That’s probably the best part about this win, is I predicted this, and I did it. Twenty-five minutes. Didn’t look the best, but I’m OK with having a gritty win like that, and I know a lot of fans didn’t like it, and I’m OK with that. It makes me happy.”
Many feel what truly irked White was Blaydes’ criticism of fighter pay in the UFC. Ahead of fight night, “Razor” urged the UFC to stop making excuses and pay fighters more or simply admit they have no intention of upping the ante.
Regardless of how White feels, Blaydes is riding a four-fight winning streak. In that span, he’s beaten Volkov, Junior dos Santos, Shamil Abdurakhimov, and Justin Willis. “Razor” has just two career defeats and both were at the hands of Francis Ngannou. His record stands at 14-2, 1 NC.
