Curtis Blaydes rocked the MMA world with his brilliant TKO victory in the main event of UFC Columbus. An early second-round finish earned Blaydes a Performance of the Night bonus along with a lot of praise from the fans.

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A huge punch sent his opponent, Chris Daukaus, crashing down to the canvas, and it was a matter of a few more ground strikes before the referee stopped the fight. Blaydes is a hard-hitter but is predominantly a wrestler. ‘Razor’ recently shared who he thinks is the hardest hitter that he has faced.

On the MMA Hour, Blaydes revealed he has encountered this question many times before. He said, “People always ask me, who hits harder: Mark Hunt, [Francis] Ngannou, Derrick Lewis? I’ve fought them all…”

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Being the heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou was the clear favorite. However, fans were in for a shock as Blaydes chose someone else. ‘Razor’ chose ‘The Black Beast’ who has previously knocked him out in 2021.

“Derrick Lewis, all I remember is thinking in my head, okay, I’m gonna shoot, then I wake up in the ambulance. I think he hits the hardest,” Curtis Blaydes revealed.

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Read More: Francis Ngannou or Derrick Lewis- Who Has More Knockout Power? Daniel Cormier Reveals His Pick

Curtis Blaydes issues title shot demand after emphatic win

The heavyweight pounder secured a decisive win on his return to the octagon in nearly six months. As a result, he felt confident to show his desire in the post-fight interview.

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‘Razor’ was upfront in his demands, as he asked for an interim title shot. As the UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is out injured, UFC might schedule an interim title bout soon. ‘The Predator‘ will be absent for approximately nine months after his recent knee surgery.

However, the #4 ranked UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes wants to take over in the meantime. He used the octagon mic to ask for an interim title shot against #1 ranked Ciryl Gane.

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‘Razor’ said, “I think I deserve an interim title shot against Ciryl Gane. I want next. I want the title shot. We can do it anytime this summer. June, July, August, I’m down.”

What do you think about Curtis Blaydes’ verdict on the hardest heavyweight hitter in the UFC? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Utkarsh Gathani

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Utkarsh Gathani is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. A Mass Communication graduate from Wilson College, this sports buff, who is captivated by multiple sports, adores MMA. Conor McGregor is the reason for that as Utkarsh is in awe of the man's unbelievable striking ability, his lifestyle, and his trash talking. His admiration for 'The Notorious One' provoked him to use the skills acquired in his degree to make a career in combat sports journalism. Away from his role as a UFC journalist, he catches up on the other sports he loves watching and pursues his casual interest in traveling and debating.

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