Outside Source
Curtis Blaydes is the UFC’s all-time leader in takedowns at heavyweight. | Getty/UFC
When Curtis Blaydes initially got the offer to fight Josh Hokit at UFC 327, he admittedly didn’t know anything about his opponent.
“My thoughts were: ‘Who is this guy?’” Blaydes told UFC.com. “Also, I’ll take the money. I knew otherwise I’d have to wait a little longer and we’re trying to make some moves this year.”
Hokit has combined performance in the cage — he’s 8-0 with two first-round finishes in the UFC — with a pro-wrestling style schtick that has drawn plenty of attention, though not all of it has been positive. Most recently, “The Incredible Hok” had a verbal confronation with Jiri Prochazka before unveiling his latest personalat UFC 327 media day.
It’s nothing new, according to Blaydes, who adds that Hokit’s ability to promote pales in comparison to some of his more celebrated predecessors.
“There’s Chael Sonnen, he’s like the OG, then it goes [Conor] McGregor, Colby [Covington] and now I guess we got Hokit,” Blaydes said. “Each copy of a copy, the iteration gets a little weaker, and I think this is what we’re getting. It’s worked for him. He got a Top 5 opponent on a main card, so it’s worked for him up until a point. I think when you put more energy into your skills on the mic as opposed to your skills in the cage, eventually it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass, and I think that’s what’s happening this weekend.”
No Comparison
While Hokit played football and wrestled at Fresno State University, Blaydes believes there’s no comparison when it comes to their respective grappling abilities.
“It’s almost disrespectful,” Blaydes said. “He’s 6’1, 235 [pounds], and he has a sloppy overhand into a head outside single leg that I’m going to see from a mile away. I’m the wrestler. I have the most takedowns in heavyweight history.”
While Hokit is just starting to make a name for himself, Blaydes is battle tested in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Though he has yet to challenge for a title, his ledger includes triumphs over the likes of Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Tom Aspinall and Jailton Almeida. The 35-year-old Illinois native is coming off a forgettable split-decision win over Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Baku last June, but with improved health, he expects a better performance on Saturday night in Miami.
“I’m just happy my knees are healthy again,” he said. “That was a major factor in my onfidence heading into [my last] fight. I entered that fight with two partially torn meniscuses… Removing that, I feel great… I should’ve smashed that guy.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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