Curtis Blaydes on rematch against Tom Aspinall for UFC interim heavyweight title
Curtis Blaydes on rematch against Tom Aspinall for UFC interim heavyweight title
25/07/2024
Blaydes (18-4 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) aims to take home the title in his second outing against Aspinall
UFC No. 4 welterweight contender
13 wins by knockout
Three first-round finishes
25/07/2024
Blaydes (18-4 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) aims to take home the title in his second outing against Aspinall
UFC No. 4 welterweight contender
13 wins by knockout
Three first-round finishes
Category
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SportTranscript
00:00Before we start, have you guys been to the auditorium?
00:04Have you been to the Blackstone?
00:07Why are y'all acting so strange?
00:10Where have you been the whole time?
00:13How did you get over the time change?
00:15How's the training going?
00:18Y'all gotta be better than that.
00:21How's camp?
00:24Well, let's talk about it.
00:33So when you hear the same question over and over again,
00:36does it eventually just make the subject play on your mind
00:38or does it just turn off and it's like, okay?
00:40It just means you guys are going to get the driest answers I've got.
00:43Like, oh, how was the flight? Good.
00:46How are you adjusting to the time change?
00:49Well, you gotta give me something in order to give you guys something.
00:55If, let's say, Tom wins on Saturday or you win,
00:58do you think this should count as a legitimate title defense for him
01:01or should it count as an undisputed title win for you
01:03when they inevitably promote it to the undisputed title?
01:07So basically you're asking if this is the real belt.
01:09Yes, this is the real belt in my mind.
01:12In my mind, Jones versus Stipe is just their retirement fight.
01:17Not to be rude, but we know they're both one or two fights away.
01:22So more than likely, this is their get the bag and get out fight, which is fine.
01:27That's how I view it.
01:29Have you been surprised like how animated Dane has been about Jon Jones recently?
01:33That's like anytime his name even comes up, it's like, he's the best ever
01:36and stuff like that.
01:37Are you surprised that he's like so intense to push that?
01:40No, this is Dana White, one of the greatest promoters in the world.
01:44He knows how to add hype and market.
01:49That's what he does.
01:50That's his job.
01:51One of the best at it.
01:52I'm not shocked.
01:53I expect it actually.
01:54Do you think he's doing it because he knows that Jon Jones is about to fight
01:57so he's just sort of laying the table for that?
01:59Yeah, that's how it feels.
02:01He wants to squeeze that juice, get the last drop,
02:04and he wants everyone to watch it.
02:06So that's how I view it.
02:08Do you agree with him that Jon Jones is currently the pound for pound best
02:11or do you think he has to be active to be in that discussion?
02:14You got to be active.
02:15This isn't like a skill-based thing.
02:16This is an activity thing.
02:18He hasn't been that active.
02:20You can't be the best if you're not being active.
02:22How are you adjusting to the time change over here?
02:25Well, you're cheeky.
02:30Curtis right here.
02:32Sticking with the Jon Jones thing, though,
02:33but Jon, you know, he goes on these Twitter Q&As with fans a lot,
02:36and he kind of said, you know, as short as that first fight was,
02:40he thought you were winning that fight.
02:41Did you think you were actually winning that fight,
02:43or was it just not quick enough or long enough to kind of?
02:46I do feel like I was beginning to find my range.
02:50I'm sure everyone in here has watched that.
02:53It's not hard to watch it 40 times in a row.
02:56I have.
02:57I do feel like I was starting to find my range, so yes.
03:02How much of – obviously Tom is a high-level black belt,
03:05but he's, you know, everyone says hyper-athletic, hits strong and fast.
03:09You've fought in Derek Lewis and Ghanu, Sergey Pavlovich,
03:12the three heaviest hitters in this division.
03:15You trained for Jailton Almeida,
03:16who everyone said had the best grappling in this division.
03:19Did you have to do anything specifically for Tom
03:21that maybe you didn't have to do for those other guys?
03:26Working with smaller guys a little bit just to get used to more hand speed,
03:31but that's the only adjustment.
03:34I think I saw maybe you – it might have been – I can't remember what video it was,
03:38but at one point you weren't taking MMA 100% seriously, I think.
03:42So I guess what switched in your mind now that you are taking MMA 100% seriously?
03:48When I moved to Denver, prior to that I was basically doing my workouts at a UFC gym.
03:56Didn't have anyone to spar with.
03:57I was sparring with other weights.
04:00I was BSing.
04:03I got in the UFC just off my athleticism and being able to wrestle everyone.
04:08I knew after I debuted against Ghanu where I was was not the place to be in order to grow.
04:14Moved out to Denver, joined Elevation.
04:18We're now Forge and the best decision I made in my career.
04:23Do you think heavyweights get credit for being high-level martial artists
04:26because most people just kind of look at you and you can hit them once and they go to sleep?
04:30I think majority of fans, they just watch the highlights.
04:35They don't watch the – how did he set that up?
04:39Did he use a jab? Did he switch his stance?
04:41Did he use the inside leg kick to distract them?
04:45They just see hand on the face.
04:48The guy falls down.
04:50I think everyone, like the way they judge heavyweights,
04:53we should be judged on a different scale
04:57because the exchanges that smaller guys have.
05:00I was at the Denver fights.
05:02My buddy Drew Dober was fighting that Brazilian guy.
05:06They were banging.
05:07You can't do that in heavyweight.
05:09Those exchanges, we should be graded on a sliding scale.
05:14We don't get to – you can make a mistake at bantam, feather, light, even welterweight.
05:21After welterweight, mistakes become a lot more costly but especially heavyweight.
05:26It could be a jab.
05:27I've seen heavyweights get dropped with jabs.
05:29It's not happening at bantamweight.
05:31So I think we should just be judged on a different scale.
05:34And unrelated to this fight, I don't know if you saw,
05:36but on November 1st they're going to roll out some of these new rules that they approved changes.
05:40So 12-6 elbows and they've redefined what a grounded opponent is.
05:45I'm curious.
05:46You've clearly heard these and what do you make of these new rule changes?
05:49They feel very grappler-friendly, so I'm surprised
05:53because I know a lot of people don't like grapplers.
05:56So I'm a little shocked, but I'm happy because the elbows especially,
06:01that's going to open up a lot of stuff.
06:03I kind of wish it was already active.
06:05And John said that he might try to appeal that lone loss to Matt Hamilton.
06:09He should.
06:10I always view – he's undefeated.
06:12Does anyone in here not agree?
06:15Oh, we've got a contrarian?
06:22You're right.
06:23You're right.
06:24We all have to do the rules.
06:27You're right.
06:28You're right.
06:29That's a good one.
06:32Oh, we're getting the banter.
06:33No, no.
06:34No, no.
06:35You appealed the referee.
06:39Oh, no.
06:40Wasn't the guy who told Matt Hamilton to fight back and Matt Hamilton couldn't hear him?
06:48There's one final one for me.
06:51He said, you know, Chicago doesn't really have good pro sports right now,
06:54and, you know, you guys can bring back the belts to Chicago.
06:56So how special is it to have him also chasing for the UFC title on this card?
07:01It's amazing to have two guys from the same area.
07:06We both grew up on the south side.
07:08It's amazing.
07:09I didn't really bump into them.
07:10That's how you know when I was home in Chicago,
07:13I wasn't really doing what I was supposed to be doing.
07:15Had I been, I probably would have walked into Bilal years ago.
07:19But I think it's great.
07:21We got two opportunities to bring home a belt.
07:24I hope we go 2-0.
07:26It will be great for the city.
07:28And in terms of Chicago sports, I believe in the Bears.
07:33This is the most excited I've been.
07:35Don't you do that.
07:36This is the most excited I've been as a Bears fan in my adult life.
07:40You think they're better than the Lions?
07:42No, not better.
07:43I want growth.
07:44We don't got to win the division.
07:45I want growth.
07:48Curtis, what have you made of Tom's performances since that first fight in 2022?
07:54You've shown devastating knockout power on the feet.
07:57And I think a lot of people expect your game plan to be take him down
08:02and expose him with those vicious elbows like you usually do.
08:06But would part of you like to stand and bang and try and surprise people?
08:10I'm going to be organic.
08:12I don't enter fights with a game plan.
08:14I have to do this.
08:15I need to do it.
08:17That's how you walk into traps.
08:20It seems a lot more premeditated.
08:24I don't have plans like that.
08:26I just want to be in position.
08:28If the takedown is there, I'll go for it.
08:31If it's not there, I'm not going to force it.
08:33And I do believe I can beat him on the feet.
08:35I don't believe I have to get takedown.
08:37It would be nice because that's my world.
08:39But I can hang out on the feet too.
08:41Are you used to being in enemy territory now as well?
08:44You did it once before two years ago.
08:46Does it feel business as usual now?
08:48I've done it a bunch of times.
08:50I come from a wrestling background.
08:53I love going to other high schools, other colleges.
08:57And when their hands are pulling you, I love that.
09:01I feed off that.
09:02In the UFC, it's a lot different.
09:05I can't hear you guys.
09:06You know that, right?
09:07I can't hear a thing anyone's saying.
09:09I've been to Australia, fought Archon.
09:11I didn't hear anything the fans were saying.
09:14We were prepared to go to Brazil.
09:16On offense, I've heard the Brazilian fans are a little scarier than the British fans.
09:22So if I wasn't scared of the Brazilians, I'm not scared of the Brits.
09:26There's a lot of stories away from this fight in the heavyweight division as well.
09:30Like the guys have mentioned, Jon Jones there looming over everything.
09:34But we also have Alex Pereira's inevitable move to the heavyweight division as well.
09:38Bad idea.
09:39Bad idea for him.
09:40Him, I'll give you my premeditated plan.
09:43I'm going to shoot immediately.
09:45Why would I give him any chance to knock me out on the feet
09:49when I know I can take him down at will?
09:52He has to know that.
09:54I think he's looking for a specific heavyweight, not any heavyweight.
09:58He has matchups against.
10:01I can see him beating guys like Tai.
10:05We watched him sparring Tai Toivasa.
10:08Maybe some other guys like the bottom of the top 15.
10:13But you give him a top five guy with some real weight, he's not winning.
10:17You mentioned shooting straight away.
10:20Would part of it be in your mind the fact that he has a devastating flying knee
10:24when we kind of look at the Masvidal-Astrin situation?
10:27I'm going to eat that knee.
10:28I ate one from Alistair.
10:30You think he throws part of these on Alistair?
10:32I know he's got the aura going on right now.
10:34But I ate a knee from 265-pound Alistair.
10:38I'm good with eating knees.
10:40So would you welcome Alex Pereira to the heavyweight division
10:44if you win on Saturday night?
10:46I know this is what everyone wants to hear.
10:48Yes, I would fuck up Alex Pereira.
10:50It's not because he's not good.
10:52I'm heavier than he is.
10:53Just a heavyweight, gravity, weight matters.
10:56It's not a skill base.
10:58It's just how it is.
11:02This is your second time in the U.K.
11:04What's the reception been like?
11:06It's been cool.
11:07We walked around a little bit.
11:10Ran into fans.
11:11They've all been respectful.
11:12Very nice.
11:13Even the ones who are like,
11:14I'm rooting for Aspinall, but you're a good guy.
11:16That's cool with me.
11:17That's all I want.
11:18I just want respect.
11:19You don't have to root for me.
11:20You don't have to like me.
11:21Respect.
11:22What do you make of the U.K. fans in comparison to other fans?
11:24You mentioned it there.
11:26You fought in Perth, I believe.
11:30You obviously fought with Jai Elton in Brazil recently.
11:32No, I wanted to.
11:33Originally, we were going to go to Brazil.
11:35Of course.
11:36It was Miami, but I was prepared for that.
11:39I was expecting that to be the worst ever.
11:41But, yeah, British fans, you guys, you're cool.
11:45I mean, obviously, I know you're going to,
11:47oh, fuck you.
11:49I can't hear you guys.
11:50It's a good impression.
11:51I dream about it.
11:54But, yeah, I can't hear you guys, but I expect it.
11:59No hard feelings.
12:00It is what it is.
12:01It would be the same thing if he was in Chicago.
12:04And I don't want my fans to be disrespectful,
12:07and I'm sure that's not what he wants.
12:09But fans are fans.
12:10They're drinking.
12:11It's cool.
12:12And you mentioned earlier there that you think that John and Stipe's fight
12:15is going to be their swan song.
12:17They're going to bow out their careers.
12:19Would it be a bit disappointing for you that if you win the title
12:23and then John sails off into the sunset
12:26and not have the opportunity to beat potentially the greatest fighter
12:29of all time?
12:31A little disappointing, but I'm not going to be that sad.
12:34I have the belt.
12:35I've got money.
12:36Another fight potentially down the line, more money.
12:40I'll be happy.
12:41I'll be straight.
12:42And final one, are you and Tom going to share another beer after this fight?
12:45I'd like to.
12:46Like I said, respectable guy, got no beef, got no animosity.
12:50These are my favorite type of match-up where it's all skill.
12:54We'll see who's best.
12:56Curtis, just to piggyback on that question,
12:59talk to me about your memories from that beer share, the Dasmo,
13:03because it felt like even at the end of that fight it's unfinished business.
13:06So when you're sitting there sipping a beer with him,
13:08is that what it felt like to you?
13:10Yeah, I knew he was – how old is he now?
13:14He's a few years younger than me.
13:16I knew he'd be back.
13:17I knew he'd get healthy.
13:19You guys have great health care out here.
13:21It's free.
13:23Like I said, I knew he'd be back, and I knew he'd most likely have to scrap again.
13:29I didn't think he'd be over the belt, but I knew he would have to scrap again.
13:33Tom's created something of a heavyweight super camp down his ways.
13:37When you're looking at that,
13:38you spoke earlier about the people you've had to train with in the past.
13:41Are you quite envious of the team he's built,
13:43and are you hoping to build something like that over your side of the pond?
13:48It would be nice.
13:50I win this.
13:51I get the belt.
13:52I have the resources.
13:53No, you're good.
13:54I have the resources to hire guys, bring them out.
13:57But right now, the guys I'm working with, I think they're the best in the world.
14:00They've helped me get here.
14:01So I'm good with those guys.
14:04Curtis, straight in front of you here, sir.
14:07It's been a long road to get to this title fight from that debut in Croatia back in 2016.
14:13You've been very close to earning yourself a title shot,
14:16and it just hasn't quite worked out for you in those individual fights.
14:19Were there any moments over the course of that time where you sort of sat down
14:22and wondered whether it ever would happen for you?
14:26After I beat Alistair, I was number two.
14:31He was number five.
14:33I beat him, or maybe it was reversed.
14:35Then I bumped up.
14:37But either way, I thought after I beat Hunt in February, I beat Alistair in June,
14:44and then they gave the interim title versus D.C.
14:48They gave it to Derrick Lewis.
14:50They didn't do it based off skill because he had just fought Wayne Ganu.
14:55I don't know if you guys watched that fight.
14:56Not much of a fight.
14:58He got that fight because he gives plenty of interviews, and I don't.
15:02That's what it is.
15:03If this was skill-based, if this was aristocracy-based,
15:07I had a better year leading up to that who should get the title fight.
15:12It should have been me.
15:14That was when I was probably the most like, what do I got to do?
15:18But then that's why I took the rematch with Ganu.
15:22I thought, okay, I got to get in there.
15:24I got to beat Ganu.
15:26Didn't work, but that's what I was hoping to do.
15:29I knew I had to make a splash.
15:31I know also that I lose opportunities because I don't get online
15:35and say funny, weird stuff.
15:37I don't post craziness.
15:40I don't give wild post-fight interviews.
15:43I understand that.
15:44I understand it puts me at a disadvantage, but it's not who I am.
15:48I didn't grow up like that.
15:49I came from wrestling.
15:51We don't talk smack.
15:52You shake the guy's hand before the match and after the match.
15:56Just a respectful guy, and I'm all right with the decisions I made.
16:00It still worked out.
16:01I still got the title fight.
16:02It just took a little longer than expected.
16:05If it all goes your way on Saturday night
16:07and they wrap that belt around your waist,
16:09given the journey that you've been on
16:10and the hard yards you've had to put in to get this shot,
16:13what would it mean to you to be crowned a world champion in the UFC
16:15after all this time?
16:16It means everything.
16:17It means all the little decisions I made along the way,
16:21they'll be validated.
16:23Brilliant.
16:24Thanks a lot.
16:25Curtis Beck here.
16:26Two years ago, we were actually there at the O2 when you fought Tom Aspinall,
16:29and the crowd was absolutely crazy,
16:31but is there a part of you that would have wanted this rematch
16:34in the United States, or does location not affect you?
16:37This could be on the moon.
16:40Let me...
16:42Fans, venue does not matter.
16:45I don't know why y'all think it does,
16:47and you think the face-off matters,
16:50like, ooh, he won the face-off.
16:52None of that matters.
16:53I think I probably lost every face-off.
16:57I don't care where we fight
16:59because fans that can't help him can't hurt me.
17:03So, venue does not matter to me at all.
17:07Hi, Curtis.
17:08Cas for Tidal Sports Network.
17:10I noticed that you was meant to do a podcast with Bispin,
17:13and then your coach has said no.
17:15I was just wondering why.
17:16Was it because you was worried about him breaking down your game plan too much?
17:20Well, we know Bispin's homies,
17:22and I don't want to put him in a position where he has to feel
17:26like he has to be a certain person around me
17:30that he wouldn't be around Aspinall.
17:31I know it's weird, so it was just easier that way.
17:35I'd love to do a podcast with him after if he still wants me,
17:38but, yeah, that was our decision, yeah.
17:41One thing I like seeing is how much you're representing people with stutters,
17:46and I was wondering,
17:48has many people reached out to you to ask for advice and stuff?
17:53Yeah, I've been getting those for years now,
17:56and I never really saw myself as a spokesman for speech impediments,
18:00but it was my dad.
18:02He has a speech impediment also.
18:04It's not because I got it from him.
18:05It's hereditary.
18:06It's not because CTE.
18:08Let's get that out there.
18:09I know I get asked that the most.
18:12Yeah, I'm happy.
18:14My daughter has a speech impediment, and it scares me.
18:19I know children are mean.
18:22I know how it was for me growing up in Chicago.
18:25It can be real mean.
18:28It's one of the reasons I went to all-boys school,
18:30because I realized when you remove the female, no offense,
18:33but when you remove the females out of the room, the guys are a lot nicer.
18:37That's one of the reasons I went to all-guys high school.
18:39Don't regret that.
18:41But, yeah, I hope other people, young people, old people,
18:47anyone with a speech impediment
18:49or anyone who has a connection with anyone with a speech impediment,
18:54I hope you can look at me and see that you can do whatever you want to do.
18:58If you want to be a police officer, my dad's a cop or just retired.
19:02If you want to be whatever, teacher, astronaut, just a speech impediment.
19:07It's just don't allow people in there.
19:11I used to allow people, when they would ask me my name, I'd go,
19:15and they'd look at me like,
19:17Are you special? Do you not know how to pronounce your own name?
19:21It used to make me feel some type of way.
19:24Now I judge them.
19:26Are you that ignorant that you think me as a grown man,
19:29I don't know how to pronounce my own name?
19:32I've gotten over it, but it took me a while until like 27, 28.
19:38Doing these interviews helped also.
19:40I was a kid in high school.
19:42I wouldn't raise my hand if I knew the answer.
19:45I was embarrassed.
19:46I didn't want people to laugh and all that stuff.
19:50I just want those people that also have a speech impediment
19:53to know that if people are laughing at you, it doesn't mean anything about you.
19:58It means a whole lot more about them and their character.
20:02That's amazing, and it's great representation, so thank you.
20:05My last question was, you posted on your Instagram about our crisp flavors.
20:09I was wondering, did you try any?
20:13Because you said that it was nasty, but cheese and onions are banging actually.
20:18I was scared to eat it.
20:19You were scared?
20:20I was scared to try it.
20:22But I'm real picky.
20:23I'm super, super basic.
20:26Back home, hamburgers, hot dogs, Alfredo.
20:32I'm picky.
20:33I eat like an eight-year-old.
20:35Don't use me as your skill for all Americans.
20:40I know my brother, he's going to eat everything when he gets here.
20:44He'll be here Friday.
20:45He's going to eat everything.
20:47He always does.
20:48We're different.