Curtis Blaydes continued to prove himself a top heavyweight contender on Saturday with a largely one-sided win over Alexander Volkov in the UFC on ESPN 11 main event.
Blaydes (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) picked up his fourth consecutive win in the form of a unanimous decision over Volkov (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The path to victory consisted of a record amount of takedowns for a heavyweight fight, with Blaydes grounding “Drago” on 14 separate occasions.
Although the performance garnered some criticism from fans, as well as UFC president Dana White, the fact remains that Blaydes is still one of the very best heavyweights out there, and is closing in on a title opportunity.
Is his plan to wait out the Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier title fight at UFC 252 on Aug. 15 the right one, though? Or would he be better suited fighting the winner of the Aug. 8 main event between Derrick Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and Aleksei Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC)?
Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Blaydes’ future coming out of UFC on ESPN 11.
Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Curtis Blaydes after UFC on ESPN 11 win?