Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev have been through many scheduling nightmares. Originally booked for February, then moved to UFC 313 in March where Blaydes fell sick with norovirus on fight day, this heavyweight bout has been rescheduled several times. Now they finally meet at UFC Fight Night in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 21st at the Baku Crystal Hall, marking the promotion’s first visit to the country.<\/p>
The delays have been particularly tough on Kuniev, who has been waiting almost a year to make his UFC<\/a> debut after earning his contract with a first-round technical knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series. The former Eagle FC heavyweight champion has been training and cutting weight multiple times, which can’t be easy on the body or mind. Meanwhile, Blaydes has been dealing with his own demons after suffering a brutal 60-second knockout loss to Tom Aspinall in his last outing, a defeat that essentially ended his title aspirations.<\/p> This heavyweight matchup presents a classic grappler versus striker dynamic. Blaydes enters as the significantly more experienced UFC veteran, having competed at the highest level of the division for years. The loss to Aspinall was particularly devastating because it happened so quickly, leaving fans wondering if his chin has become compromised.<\/p>Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev Preview<\/h2>