Curtis Blaydes took on a dangerous challenge in Derrick Lewis at UFC Vegas 19. However, ‘Razor’ came up short on the night when he was viciously knocked out in the second round of their fight. In the process, Lewis snapped Blaydes’ four-fight win streak dating back to March 2019.
Going into the fight, Blaydes was the favorite given that he was a far superior wrestler. The common consensus was that Blaydes would use his wrestling to tire out ‘The Black Beast’ and grind his way to a five-round decision win. In the first round, ‘Razor’ did not try to use his wrestling much. And in the second round, the first time he shot for a takedown was the last sequence of the fight.
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Curtis Blaydes' head is "still held high" after his loss to Derrick Lewis.
(via @RazorBlaydes265) pic.twitter.com/pK3MGxh4VE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 24, 2021
Following his loss, Curtis put out a statement saying, “Sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail. This game has a razor-thin margin for error. And I just got caught, it happens. Props to Derrick. No shame in it, my head’s still held high.”
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What next for Curtis Blaydes?
Going into the fight against Derrick Lewis, Curtis was on a four-fight win streak and had registered wins over the likes of Junior Dos Santos, and Alexander Volkov among others. It was understood that if he could get past Lewis, a title shot or a fight against Jon Jones was imminent for ‘Razor’.
Despite being stopped in his tracks last weekend, Blaydes remains one of the very best at heavyweight. He is currently ranked third in the division and has a lot of potential fights ahead of him.
Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 20: (R-L) Curtis Blaydes punches Derrick Lewis in a heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Chris Daukaus secured an impressive stoppage win this weekend over Aleksei Oleinik. After the fight, he stated that he wanted a top 10 opponent in his next outing. Hence, a fight against Curtis Blaydes can be an excellent matchup for Daukaus who has yet to face a top 5 opponent.
It will also be a good way for ‘Razor’ Blaydes to bounce back by facing a tough challenger and securing a win over him.
Who do you think Curtis Blaydes should fight next? Let us know in the comments below!
