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Tag: Rizvan Kuniev

  • ‘Judges Continue To Be A Joke’ – Fans Trash Curtis Blaydes Decision Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    ‘Judges Continue To Be A Joke’ – Fans Trash Curtis Blaydes Decision Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    Curtis Blaydes may have come out on top in his UFC Baku bout against Rizvan Kuniev, but it was a close fight that nearly saw him, a No. 5 fighter, lose to a UFC debutant.

    Blaydes asserted his wrestling early with a takedown right away. Blaydes dominated with his grappling, controlling Kuniev against the fence and winning the clinch battles.

    Kuniev adjusted and took some momentum in the second round, stuffing takedowns and landing clean combos, busting up Bladyes’ left eye.

    Kuniev stunned Blaydes with a knee during the third round, though Blaydes landed plenty of his own shots, and he controlled the clinch with knees. Kuniev added a late flurry, with wild exchanges to conclude the fight.

    All three judges scored the fight 29-28, with two scoring the fight for Blaydes, giving him the win.

    Curtis Blaydes Scores Controversial Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    This was Blaydes’s first fight since his knockout loss at UFC 304, when he challenged Tom Aspinall for the interim UFC heavyweight championship.

    Kuniev has competed previously for PFL and Eagle FC, the latter of which he won the heavyweight championship in.

  • Curtis Blaydes’ Return Gets New Date After Fight-Day UFC 313 Cancellation

    Curtis Blaydes’ Return Gets New Date After Fight-Day UFC 313 Cancellation

    UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes and newcomer Rizvan Kuniev will hope it’s second time lucky later this year when it comes to their matchup reaching the Octagon.

    The mixed martial arts leader staged its third numbered card of 2025 this past weekend, with UFC 313 going down from inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Fight week went smoothly and saw all 24 athletes make weight, but fight day saw the card take some hits.

    After John Castañeda was confirmed to be out of his early preliminary contest with Chris Gutierrez, illness struck a more notable pairing. Former interim heavyweight title challenger Curtis Blaydes pulled out of the UFC 313 featured prelim, which was set to see him welcome newcomer Rizvan Kuniev to the Octagon.

    In a post on his Facebook page, “Razor” revealed the reason behind his late decision not to compete.

    “Last night I got sick with norovirus,” Blaydes wrote. “Worked through the night to try and recover but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Fight going to be booked for a later date. Apologize to fans and my opponent be we will have this fight very soon.”

    Fortunately for both men, it hasn’t taken long for the UFC to reschedule the clash for down the line.

    Per Vestnik MMA, Blaydes will now face the Dagestani debutant at the promotion’s first event in Qatar on May 17. The report was later corroborated by Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff.

    Curtis Blaydes hasn’t competed since a first-round knockout loss to Tom Aspinall in what marked his first title fight on MMA’s biggest stage last July.

    Rizvan Kuniev, meanwhile, last fought in August 2024 when he earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

  • Curtis Blaydes ‘Had To Google’ Debuting UFC 313 Opponent

    Curtis Blaydes ‘Had To Google’ Debuting UFC 313 Opponent

    UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes was left having to do some additional research when the latest assignment was slid across his desk.

    Blaydes is set to return to action at this weekend’s UFC 313 pay-per-view, almost eight months on from his failed first title bid on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last July in England.

    Off the back of a crushing first-round knockout loss to Tom Aspinall, “Razor” will look to bounce back in his first appearance of 2025. And to do so, he’s tasked with defending his #5 spot on the heavyweight ladder against a newcomer to the Octagon.

    Blaydes will top Saturday’s preliminary card opposite Rizvan Kuniev, a Dagestani heavyweight who followed a brief stint in the PFL with victory on Dana White’s Contender Series last August.

    The booking came as a surprise to many. And it wasn’t just some in the fanbase who had to look up the man placed opposite Blaydes…

    “I did (a double take), but like I always say, the money’s the same regardless if it’s Jon Jones or if it’s a debut guy,” Blaydes said during an interview with MMA Fighting. “The money’s the same so I’ll always be down.

    “I had to Google him. I watched his fight on The (Dana White’s) Contender (Series), that’s really the only fight of his I watched. He looks like your traditional heavyweight — swings heavy and hopes to knock you out early.”

    While his opponent may not be an established name in the UFC heavyweight division, Blaydes will no doubt still be motivated to ensure he doesn’t fall to the first losing skid of his career inside T-Mobile Arena on March 8.