CURTIS BLAYDES

Representing the United States, heavyweight competitor Curtis Blaydes honed his skills at the Elevation Fight Team. He established himself as a prominent contender within the division, leaning on a wrestling-heavy approach that led to multiple league records for total takedowns. Throughout his professional tenure starting in 2014, he claimed significant victories over opponents like Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, and Alexander Volkov. The former junior college wrestling titlist remains a fixture among the top-ranked combatants in his weight class.

Entering this bout, Blaydes holds a total professional record of 20-6-0 with one no-contest. His recent activity shows a unanimous decision victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta earlier this month, following a loss to Josh Hokit in April. Before that, he earned a split decision win against Rizvan Kuniev last year. His previous two appearances included a knockout defeat by Tom Aspinall and a knockout triumph over Jailton Almeida.