Curtis Blaydes, a top-five UFC heavyweight, is set to face newcomer Rizvan Kuniev, despite Kuniev’s past suspension for steroid use, and while Blaydes initially hoped to fight Ciryl Gane, he remains unfazed by the matchup, emphasizing his readiness to fight anyone without backing down.
Curtis Blaydes, a staple in the UFC’s top-five heavyweight rankings, raised eyebrows when his next opponent was announced: Rizvan Kuniev. Not exactly a household name, right? Kuniev’s making his UFC debut against Blaydes after a couple of stints on The Contender Series and a brief PFL appearance. Oh, and a year-long suspension for testing positive for multiple steroids. Yikes.
Blaydes confessed he’d never heard of Kuniev until the UFC proposed the match-up. “I did [a double take],” he told MMA Fighting. But hey, money’s money, whether it’s Jon Jones or a newcomer. So why not? He Googled Kuniev, watched one fight on The Contender Series, and concluded that Kuniev is your typical heavyweight—looking for an early knockout.
During his research, Blaydes stumbled upon Kuniev’s steroid-related suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Drostanolone, metenelone, boldenone… quite the cocktail! But surprisingly, Blaydes wasn’t fazed by this revelation. “I heard about that,” he said nonchalantly. Steroids or not, he believes they won’t help Kuniev with sprawling or taking punches.
The real kicker? Blaydes enters UFC 313 as the heavy favorite against this octagon rookie. Expectations are sky-high for him to steamroll Kuniev. But he knows better than anyone that expectations don’t always align with reality. Once bitten twice shy—he learned this lesson back in his wrestling days after an unexpected defeat to an unranked opponent.
Blaydes isn’t underestimating Kuniev; he respects anyone who steps into the octagon. “He’s here for a reason,” Blaydes acknowledged. One sloppy haymaker could spell disaster in heavyweight fights, after all.
Initially, Blaydes had hoped to face Ciryl Gane following his recent loss to Tom Aspinall. But it seems Gane isn’t keen on facing him—Blaydes claims Gane turned him down three times in four years! Frustrating? Absolutely. Yet Blaydes gets it; losing to him could tarnish Gane’s marketability.
Despite the disappointment, Blaydes remains undeterred by the matchup with Kuniev. It might not boost his career significantly, but he’s proud of accepting every fight offered to him by the UFC. “That’s a legacy I’ll brag about,” he declared confidently. Never backing down—that’s something worth boasting about.