When it comes to his upcoming interim heavyweight title fight this weekend, Curtis Blaydes believes it would be a wise choice for champion Jon Jones to avoid a fight with him before his return at UFC 304.
This weekend, Blaydes, a consistent heavyweight competitor, will be participating in a title fight for the first time in his long tenure with the promotion as the co-headliner at UFC 304.
Facing off against former opponent Tom Aspinall in enemy territory in Manchester, Blaydes is aiming to take the interim title in what would be another surprising victory after a knee injury led to a TKO loss in favor of Aspinall back in July 2022 in their London fight.
In his most recent outing, Blaydes thwarted Brazilian contender Jailton Almeida with a series of elbows at the Octagon fence while defending against a takedown, handing Almeida his first UFC defeat.
Curtis Blaydes quips Jon Jones is clever to avoid fight with him
With the goal of setting up a future fight with fellow veteran Jones through a major win over Aspinall this weekend, Blaydes believes it would be smart for Jones to steer clear of a showdown until his own return at UFC 309 in November against Stipe Miocic.
Blaydes shared his thoughts with ESPN MMA, stating, “It’s likely clever for him to avoid a showdown with me. I am a harder fight for him than Gane; I think a lot of guys are a harder fight for him than Gane.”
Throughout his UFC career, Blaydes has secured notable victories over Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Tom Aspinall, and Jailton Almeida.
Who would you favor in a future matchup: Curtis Blaydes or Jon Jones?
