Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Lionell Blaydes is an American mixed martial artist competing in the UFC heavyweight division. Born February 18, 1991, in Naperville, Illinois, he has been a fixture in the top-10 rankings since 2018. As of mid-2026, Blaydes sits at #8 in the official UFC heavyweight rankings, with a professional record of 20-5 (1 no-contest). He is known for his wrestling-dominant style, methodical pace, and durability against elite competition.

Blaydes has never fought for a UFC title, but his resume includes wins over Alistair Overeem, Alexander Volkov, Tom Aspinall, and Jailton Almeida. He trains at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado. His most recent fight was a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in April 2026.[edit]

Curtis Blaydes grew up in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, and attended Naperville Central High School. He was a standout wrestler, winning the Illinois state wrestling championship in the 285-pound weight class in 2009. After high school, he enrolled at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, where he continued wrestling for two years and earned NJCAA All-American honors.

Before turning to mixed martial arts, Blaydes worked as a bouncer and security guard. He began training in MMA in 2012, transitioning from his wrestling background. His amateur career was brief but perfect: he compiled a 3-0 record before turning professional in June 2014. Fighting in the Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA), Blaydes won his first five professional fights, all by knockout or TKO.

The pivotal moment came on August 23, 2016, when he competed on Dana White's Contender Series. Blaydes defeated Braden Linder via first-round TKO in just 43 seconds, earning a UFC contract on the spot.[edit]

Blaydes made his UFC debut on October 1, 2016, against Francis Ngannou. The fight ended in a no-contest at 1:59 of Round 2 due to an accidental eye poke. In a rematch four months later at UFC 208, Ngannou defeated Blaydes by TKO, handing him his first professional loss.

Blaydes rebounded with a four-fight winning streak from November 2017 to November 2018, defeating Adam Milstead, Alexey Oleynik, Mark Hunt, and Alistair Overeem. The Overeem win was his first signature victory against a former title contender. After a TKO loss to Junior dos Santos in February 2019, he rattled off three more wins: over Shamil Abdurakhimov, Alexander Volkov, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

On March 26, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus, he scored the fastest knockout of his UFC career, stopping Chris Daukaus in 17 seconds. In 2024, Blaydes defeated Jailton Almeida by TKO (doctor stoppage) at UFC 299, and Tom Aspinall by TKO after Aspinall tore his ACL at UFC 304. His most recent win came on April 19, 2026, a unanimous decision over Marcin Tybura at UFC on ESPN 65.[edit]

Blaydes is known for his wrestling-dominant fighting style, often described as grinding or methodical. He wears his hair in short dreadlocks and enters the Octagon with a focused, serious demeanor. MMA media portrays him as a respectful, hard-working fighter who has been consistently underrated. He has been labeled a gatekeeper of the heavyweight division, a term he publicly rejects. His social media content is straightforward: training videos, fight announcements, and family photos with his son. He avoids controversy and rarely engages in trash talk, which has earned him respect but limited his mainstream appeal.[edit]

Curtis Blaydes, the durable heavyweight contender, does not currently hold a placement in iFANN's published rankings. The Global Fame Engine has evaluated his profile, but he remains outside the Global Top 1,000 and any Top-100 scope list. This is a neutral observation, not a judgment on his standing within the UFC, where he has been a top-10 fixture for years. His recognition is substantial within the sport, yet it has not translated into the broader cultural footprint that the rankings capture.

Blaydes' fanbase, while dedicated, has no formal name documented in iFANN data. There is no widely recognized moniker for his supporters, nor are there notable fan-led campaigns or rituals that have entered the public record. His interactions with fans are typical of a professional athlete, professional and measured, but they have not spawned a distinctive fan culture. The absence of a formal fandom name or organized fan activities is not unusual for a fighter whose public persona is defined by in-cage performance rather than off-court antics.[edit]

Curtis Blaydes' nickname "Razor" stems from his high school wrestling days, a nod to his sharp takedowns. Before committing to wrestling, he played football. His fastest UFC win is a 17-second TKO of Chris Daukaus. Despite being a top-10 heavyweight for nearly a decade, he has never fought for a UFC championship. Early in his career, he trained with Francis Ngannou. As a single father, he has spoken about how fatherhood changed his perspective on fighting.

In April 2026, Blaydes engaged in a brutal war with Josh Hokit at UFC 327, suffering a fractured orbital bone and nose. The fight set a UFC heavyweight record for significant strikes landed, with Hokit landing 177. Blaydes later shared that Hokit visited him at the hospital, a gesture that became a story fans retell. Earlier, his TKO win over Jailton Almeida via hammerfists was captured in a widely circulated ESPN clip. These moments, while not folklore, are the kind of fights that define a career.[edit]

Blaydes is the son of Curtis Blaydes Sr. and a mother whose name has not been publicly disclosed. He has siblings, but details about them are not widely known. Blaydes has one son, Curtis Blaydes III, born around 2018. He has spoken publicly about raising his son as a single father and co-parenting with the child's mother, whose identity he has not revealed. He owns a home in the Chicago suburbs, in the Naperville area, where he lives with his son.[edit]

Blaydes has faced many top heavyweights. He fought Francis Ngannou twice (no-contest in 2016, loss in 2017) and trained with him early in their careers. He defeated Alistair Overeem by TKO in 2018, a signature win. Other notable opponents include Derrick Lewis (loss), Junior dos Santos (loss), Alexander Volkov (win), Jairzinho Rozenstruik (win), Tom Aspinall (win), Jailton Almeida (win), and Sergei Pavlovich (split 1-1). He trains at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado.[edit]

Blaydes was in a relationship with a woman whose name has not been publicly confirmed, which produced his son, Curtis Blaydes III, born around 2018. The couple separated before or shortly after the child's birth. Blaydes has spoken publicly about being a single father and co-parenting, but has not disclosed the mother's identity. As of 2026, Blaydes is reportedly single and has not publicly confirmed a romantic partner since becoming a single father.[edit]

iFANN's editorial analysis currently estimates Curtis Blaydes' net worth at approximately $2 million. The bulk of this fortune comes from his UFC career, which has spanned 18 fights since 2016. His disclosed fight purses have ranged from $80,000 to $350,000 per bout, with the highest reported payout being $350,000 for the Tom Aspinall fight at UFC 304 in July 2024. He has earned two Performance of the Night bonuses of $50,000 each, totaling $100,000. Endorsement income is limited, primarily through Venum, the UFC's official apparel partner, and occasional local sponsors. Blaydes owns a home in the Chicago suburbs valued between $400,000 and $600,000. He has no publicly disclosed business ventures or major investments.[edit]

Blaydes has not won major industry awards outside of MMA. His competitive achievements include an Illinois state wrestling championship (2009) and NJCAA All-American honors (2011-2012). He has earned two UFC Performance of the Night bonuses: for his TKO of Chris Daukaus in 2022 and his TKO of Jailton Almeida in 2024. He also received a Fight of the Night bonus for his bout against Francis Ngannou at UFC 208 in 2017.[edit]