Curtis Blaydes at all times wished a probability to change into UFC champion, however he stopped obsessing over that goal when it grew to become crystal clear that getting a shot on the heavyweight title could be one of probably the most irritating endeavors of his profession.
Whether the belt was held up by a three-year rivalry between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic or the title was on ice whereas Francis Ngannou recovered from knee surgical procedure and continued negotiating with UFC over a new contract, Blaydes needed to stop sweating over his probability to fight for gold. After he vanquished Jailton Almeida and stood as one of the best obtainable option for interim champion Tom Aspinall after their first encounter led to simply 15 seconds attributable to harm, Blaydes hoped he’d get the call however nonetheless by no means allowed himself to consider it was a assured alternative.
Even after he lastly locked in a shot on the interim belt at UFC 304, Blaydes refused to rejoice as a result of attempting to find the interim title wasn’t what he was after. The goal was to change into champion and that’s what at all times mattered most to him.
“I don’t want to be like, ‘I expected it,’” Blaydes instructed MMA Fighting. “Obviously, I didn’t expect it, but just because you get signed to the UFC, you can be happy about it, but you’ve got to go to work now. That’s where I’ve been since I found out about the fight.”
Despite a backstory constructed round Blaydes being Aspinall’s solely UFC loss, it appears that evidently the 33-year-old former faculty wrestler wasn’t truly the promotion’s first alternative for UFC 304.
Aspinall claimed after the fight was introduced that former interim champion Ciryl Gane was supplied the chance first however turned it down because he was busy filming a movie.
Blaydes can’t say for sure if Gane received that offer, a lot much less handed on it, however he’s not shocked if that’s how issues performed out.
The method he sees it, Gane most likely is aware of he’ll get the identical probability sooner or later, as a result of for some purpose, the French heavyweight is at all times circling round title competition though he’s tried and did not change into undisputed champion twice in his previous 4 fights.
“I’m not surprised,” Blaydes stated. “From his perspective, he’s already obtained two interim title photographs. So he’s like, ‘Hey, the chances are high that I’ll get one other one.’ And he’s proper. They’ll most likely offer him one other one. So he’s proper. I can’t blame him. I imply, I wouldn’t do it, however from his perspective, he is aware of he’ll get one other one.
“I guess I hear he’s doing a movie, which, you’re still making money. I don’t think they’re going to pay you what you would have made fighting for the belt, but it’s not like he just said he don’t want to do it. I guess he had a reason, and like I said, he most likely expects to get another offer within a year.”
As for Blaydes, he’s clearly completely satisfied he received his shot, no matter how it occurred, however he doesn’t have the identical confidence that he’ll simply get handed one other one sooner or later.
That’s why Blaydes wasted no time attending to work to arrange for Aspinall, as a result of none of this issues if he doesn’t truly change into champion in July.
“It’s a title fight. It’s big, but mostly, the latter, just time to get to work,” Blaydes stated. “It’s a fight. I’m not going to get out of my schedule, get out of my routine, and start doing a bunch of special stuff. I’m going to do exactly what I did to get ready the last time. He didn’t actually get to fight, but I felt ready so I’m going to do the exact same thing I always do.”