Curtis Blaydes: Razor — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 11
- 9 min read
Introduction
Curtis Blaydes is the most decorated wrestling-base UFC heavyweight contender of the modern era to never hold the championship. A 6'4" Naperville, Illinois native who wrestled at Junior College National Championship level for Harper College and Division I level for Northern Illinois University, Blaydes built one of the most consistent UFC heavyweight title-contender careers of the 2017-2024 era. The path included two losses to Francis Ngannou and an interim-title loss to Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 in July 2024 — three of the most consequential title-eliminator results in modern UFC heavyweight history.
This profile covers everything: the Naperville, Illinois upbringing, the Junior College wrestling years at Harper, the NCAA Division I wrestling at Northern Illinois University, the 2014 professional MMA debut, the iconic 2016 UFC debut against Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night, the 2018 KO rematch with Ngannou in Beijing, the 2022 Derrick Lewis fight in Houston, the 2023 Tom Aspinall debut at UFC London, and the 2024 Aspinall rematch at UFC 304 for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Contents
Quick Stats
Full Name: Curtis Daniel Blaydes
Nickname: Razor
Born: February 18, 1991 (Naperville, Illinois, USA)
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
Reach: 80" (203 cm)
Weight Class: Heavyweight (265 lb / 120 kg)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: Elevation Fight Team (Denver, Colorado) under Eliot Marshall
Pro Record: 18-5-0 with 1 NC (8 KO, 4 SUB, 6 DEC)
UFC Debut: April 10, 2016 — UFC Fight Night 86, lost to Francis Ngannou by TKO R2 (doctor stoppage)
Title Shot: One (UFC 304 vs Tom Aspinall for interim title, July 27, 2024 — lost by TKO R1)
Notable Wrestling Credentials: 2x NJCAA All-American at Harper College; NCAA Division I wrestler at Northern Illinois University
UFC Records: Most takedowns in UFC Heavyweight history (49+); most takedowns landed in a single UFC HW bout (14 vs Aleksei Oleinik)
Background
Curtis Daniel Blaydes was born on February 18, 1991 in Naperville, Illinois — a Chicago suburb. He started wrestling at age 14 at Naperville Central High School, where he became one of the top heavyweight prospects in Illinois state wrestling. After high school he attended Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, where he twice earned NJCAA All-American honours at heavyweight. He transferred to Northern Illinois University in 2012, wrestling NCAA Division I at heavyweight for two seasons before turning to MMA in 2014.
The professional MMA debut came on November 9, 2014 — a first-round TKO of Mike Hayes at Hoosier Fight Club 24. The early regional career was meteoric: five professional fights, all wins, all stoppages, all in 2015. The UFC contract arrived in early 2016 after a Dana White's Contender Series-style invitation. The Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 86 in Zagreb on April 10, 2016 was a brutal one — Francis Ngannou stopped Blaydes by doctor stoppage at the end of the second round, due to a closed left eye. The debut loss was Blaydes's first professional defeat and set the long-form arc of his career: the path back through the heavyweight rankings would be the most consistent contender-tier run of the era.
After the 2016 Ngannou loss, Blaydes built a six-fight winning streak — Cody East, Daniel Omielańczuk, Adam Milstead, Aleksei Oleinik, Daniel Omielańczuk, Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem — that placed him at the #1 contender position by November 2018. The Beijing rematch with Ngannou at UFC Fight Night 141 was the moment the title trajectory was reset — Ngannou knocked Blaydes out at 0:45 of the first round with a single right uppercut, the Knockout of the Year for 2018. The recovery took two years; the title trajectory was rebuilt through wins over Junior dos Santos, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Justin Tafa.
Fighting Style
Blaydes's style is the most credentialled wrestling base in modern UFC heavyweight history. The NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree underpins every aspect of the game: the 49+ career UFC takedowns rank first in modern UFC heavyweight history; the 14 takedowns landed against Aleksei Oleinik at UFC Fight Night 158 is the single-bout record. The fights against Oleinik, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Justin Tafa, and Junior dos Santos all followed the same pattern — Blaydes would take his opponent down repeatedly in the first two rounds, accumulate damage from top position, and either finish with ground-and-pound or coast to a decision.
The technical signature is the body lock and slam. Blaydes throws a high-percentage body lock from clinch range and converts it into the most consistently successful single takedown in UFC heavyweight history. The Oleinik fight at UFC Fight Night 158 produced 14 of these in 15 minutes; the Junior dos Santos fight at UFC Fight Night 166 in 2020 produced six in just over two rounds. The grappling-base approach is the most predictable feature of his game — opponents know the body-lock is coming — but the technical execution and conditioning have made it nearly unstoppable in 15- and 25-minute fights against everyone other than the elite-level strikers Ngannou and Aspinall.
The vulnerability is, and has always been, the chin against power. Francis Ngannou exploited it twice (2016 doctor stoppage from one R1 uppercut sequence; 2018 R1 KO at 0:45 from a single right uppercut). Tom Aspinall exploited it at UFC London 2023 (TKO R1 0:60 — though Aspinall blew out his knee on the same exchange) and at UFC 304 2024 for the interim title (TKO R1 4:50). Five career stoppage losses, four of them to elite-tier strikers in the first round. The pattern: when Blaydes can establish wrestling control by the end of round one, he wins; when he eats a clean right hand from a top-level heavyweight striker before then, he loses.
Career Highlights
UFC 304 — Aspinall def. Blaydes, TKO R1 (July 27, 2024)
The interim UFC Heavyweight Championship fight, in Manchester. Tom Aspinall — the British heavyweight contender — finished Blaydes by TKO at 4:50 of the first round. Blaydes's only UFC title-shot appearance and his second stoppage loss to Aspinall. The Aspinall finish confirmed the technical gap between Blaydes's wrestling-base style and the elite-level striking heavyweights of the post-Ngannou era.
UFC Fight Night 141 — Ngannou def. Blaydes, KO R1 (November 24, 2018)
The Beijing rematch with Francis Ngannou. Blaydes was a former training partner; the rivalry was the most personal of the era. Ngannou landed a single right uppercut at 0:45 of the first round that knocked Blaydes out cold. The Knockout of the Year for 2018 and the moment Ngannou established himself as a top-three UFC heavyweight contender.
UFC Fight Night 158 — Blaydes def. Aleksei Oleinik, UD (September 14, 2019)
The fight that produced the single-bout takedown record. Blaydes landed 14 takedowns in 15 minutes against the veteran Russian submission specialist — the most takedowns landed in a UFC heavyweight bout in history. Unanimous-decision win and re-establishment of Blaydes as a top-five contender.
UFC 220 — Blaydes def. Mark Hunt, UD (January 20, 2018)
The fight that established Blaydes as a top-ten heavyweight. Hunt — the former UFC Heavyweight title challenger and 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix winner — was outwrestled for three rounds. Unanimous-decision win and direct path to the #1 contender position.
UFC 277 — Lewis def. Blaydes, KO R2 (February 20, 2021)
The fight in Houston where Derrick Lewis caught Blaydes with the signature right uppercut at 1:26 of the second round. Performance of the Night for Lewis. Blaydes's third stoppage loss to a single-shot heavyweight striker in his UFC career.
Notable Rivalries
Curtis Blaydes vs. Francis Ngannou
Two fights, both Ngannou wins. UFC Fight Night 86 in April 2016 (TKO R2 doctor stoppage) and UFC Fight Night 141 in November 2018 (KO R1 0:45). The 0-2 head-to-head against Ngannou was the most consequential losing record of Blaydes's career — both losses came at moments when Blaydes was the top-ranked contender.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall
Two fights, both Aspinall wins. UFC London 2023 (TKO R1 0:60 — Aspinall blew out his knee in the same exchange that ended the fight) and UFC 304 in July 2024 (TKO R1 4:50 for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship). The 0-2 head-to-head against Aspinall closed the title-shot trajectory.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis
One fight at UFC 277 in February 2021, Lewis by KO R2. Lewis's signature right uppercut produced the finish at 1:26 of the second round.
Championships and Title Reigns
UFC Heavyweight Championship: Never won — one interim-title shot at UFC 304 vs Tom Aspinall (lost by TKO R1)
Title Shot Appearances: One (UFC 304 vs Aspinall, July 27, 2024)
Wrestling Credentials: 2x NJCAA All-American at Harper College (heavyweight); NCAA Division I wrestler at Northern Illinois University
Performance Bonuses: Multiple — Performance of the Night (Oleinik for takedown record), Fight of the Night (Hunt, dos Santos)
UFC HW Records Held: Most takedowns in UFC Heavyweight history (49+); most takedowns landed in a single UFC HW bout (14 vs Oleinik UFC FN 158)
Notable Wins: Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Aleksei Oleinik
Fun Facts
• Holds the UFC Heavyweight record for most takedowns landed in a single bout (14 against Aleksei Oleinik at UFC Fight Night 158, September 2019).
• Has the most career UFC Heavyweight takedowns in history (49+).
• Trains at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado, under head coach Eliot Marshall. The altitude-based training is widely credited as a key factor in his championship-distance cardio.
• NCAA Division I wrestler at Northern Illinois University at heavyweight.
• Twice an NJCAA All-American at Harper College before transferring to NIU.
• Naperville, Illinois native — same Chicago suburb as multiple UFC fighters including Pat Barry.
• Has finished four UFC opponents by ground-and-pound stoppage — Daniel Omielańczuk, Aleksei Oleinik (round 1 of UFC Fight Night 158), Junior dos Santos, and others.
• Holds wins over four former UFC Heavyweight title challengers: Mark Hunt, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Legacy and Verdict
Curtis Blaydes's UFC legacy is the most decorated never-champion wrestling-base heavyweight in modern UFC history. The 49+ career UFC heavyweight takedowns, the 14-takedown single-bout record against Aleksei Oleinik, the long contender-tier run through 2017-2024, and the wins over four former UFC Heavyweight title challengers (Hunt, dos Santos, Volkov, Rozenstruik) form a credential portfolio that places Blaydes among the most consistent top-five heavyweight contenders of his era. The four stoppage losses to single-shot strikers (Ngannou x2, Aspinall x2, Lewis once) define the limits of the wrestling-base approach against modern UFC heavyweight power.
Beyond the cage, Blaydes has been one of the most consistently outspoken voices on UFC fighter pay and contract economics. His public discussions during the Ngannou contract dispute era in 2022-23 produced one of the most directly-critical comments by a current UFC contender on company-level economics. The post-2024 Aspinall loss period has produced a re-engagement with the contender circuit; Blaydes remains an active top-ten UFC heavyweight as of mid-2026.
The technical legacy is unambiguous. Blaydes is in any reasonable list of the ten most consistent UFC heavyweight contenders of the modern era. The takedown records will likely stand for decades given the rarity of credentialled wrestlers entering the heavyweight division. The vacancy in his record is the title — he is the most decorated never-undisputed-champion UFC heavyweight contender of the 2017-2024 era. The future career, at 35, depends on whether Aspinall's championship reign continues to extend the gap between Blaydes and the title picture, or whether the post-Aspinall heavyweight contender pool opens enough for one more title-shot attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Curtis Blaydes ever won the UFC Heavyweight Championship?
No. Blaydes received one UFC Heavyweight title shot — at UFC 304 on July 27, 2024 against Tom Aspinall for the interim title — losing by TKO at 4:50 of the first round.
What is Curtis Blaydes's professional MMA record?
As of mid-2026, Blaydes's professional MMA record is 18-5-0 with 1 No Contest, including 8 wins by knockout, 4 by submission and 6 by decision.
Why is Curtis Blaydes nicknamed 'Razor'?
The nickname dates from his Illinois high-school wrestling days. Blaydes has explained in interviews that the 'Razor' moniker captures his sharp, technical wrestling style.
Did Curtis Blaydes wrestle in college?
Yes. Blaydes wrestled at NJCAA level at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois (where he earned All-American honours twice at heavyweight), then transferred to Northern Illinois University and wrestled NCAA Division I at heavyweight for two seasons before turning to MMA.
Where does Curtis Blaydes train?
Blaydes trains at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado, under head coach Eliot Marshall. The high-altitude training environment is widely credited as a key factor in his championship-distance cardio.
How many times has Blaydes lost to Francis Ngannou?
Twice. Ngannou won the first fight by doctor stoppage at the end of round two at UFC Fight Night 86 in April 2016, and won the second by first-round knockout at UFC Fight Night 141 in November 2018 (the Knockout of the Year for 2018).
What is Blaydes's UFC takedown record?
Blaydes holds the UFC Heavyweight record for most takedowns landed in a single bout — 14 takedowns against Aleksei Oleinik at UFC Fight Night 158 on September 14, 2019. He also holds the record for most career UFC Heavyweight takedowns (49+).
Is Curtis Blaydes still active in the UFC?
Yes. As of mid-2026, Blaydes remains an active UFC heavyweight at age 35.
References
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