After a big win over Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes looked next in line for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Despite him being in attendance for Daniel Cormier's big win at UFC 226, he isn't getting the title shot.
Even though UFC paid for a portion of the trip, Blaydes wasn't shown on the broadcast as he'd expected, and admitted when he saw Brock Lesnar at cage side, he knew there was only one reason that the WWE Universal Champion would be there -- to call out the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier.
"It reeked of WWE, and I don't like that. I understand this is an entertainment sport, but we have to be careful that we don't overvalue someone's marketability over their production in the cage. I want to be judged on the merit of my victories, not on the smack that I talk. They don't care about your ranking, they just want you to sell the fight. That's not fair. The number one priority should be to win the fight," said Blaydes. "I shouldn't have to make my case, it should be common sense."
That being said, Blaydes doesn't think that Lesnar's recent resume matches up with his, or Alexander Volkov's, or even former champion Stipe Miocic's.
"I would destroy Brock Lesnar. What's to be scared about? Is he going to outwrestle me? No. He's definitely not going to outstrike me. He hasn't won a fight in 8 years. I would be pissed if they gave Stipe Miocic a re-match. Brock? That makes no sense," said Blaydes.
Blaydes said that he didn't know until after the fact that Alexander Volkov weighed in as a backup option, but he has a sprained MCL that he's healing up from anyway, so doesn't know what that means for how the company views him, and hasn't heard from the UFC yet.
As far as Brock Lesnar goes, Blaydes didn't run into the WWE Superstar at UFC 226, but knows how it would have gone if he did.
"I would have said 'Why do you think you deserve the title shot?' I'd like to hear that from his own mouth. Why do people want to see that fight so bad? He's not good. He doesn't really have a skill set. Even his wrestling, people are so impressed by it. I'm not," said Blaydes.
Curtis Blaydes (10-1, NC) reacts to the news that Brock Lesnar is potentially fighting Daniel Cormier next for the UFC heavyweight title.
