LAS VEGAS – Curtis Blaydes has been “right there” for quite some time and he plans to stop pushing his luck if he wins at UFC Fight Night 222.
A winner of three in a row and seven of his most recent eight, Blaydes (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) revealed Wednesday he plans to sit and wait for a title shot if he defeats Sergei Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
“I know what I’m working toward,” Blaydes told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference. “If I win, I’ll wait. I’ll wait for a title shot. I don’t care who it is. If it’s Jon (Jones), if it’s Stipe (Miocic), if they bring in Brock Lesnar, I’ll wait.”
The current UFC heavyweight titleholder is Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), who returned from a three-year absence in March and quickly defeated Ciryl Gane for the vacant strap. While Jones’ future in the sport is murky beyond a bout vs. Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden later this year, Blaydes thinks he presents some unique issues for the current champion.
“The wrestling I present, it’s a problem,” Blaydes said. “If you don’t think so, then you don’t really understand MMA. The ability for me to take the fight from on the feet to the ground when I want to puts more mental pressure on my opponents that have to think about it. Even if I don’t actually shoot, you know it’s an option and it’s something for you to think about. I use that and I think I can use that against Jon.”
Blaydes, 32, revealed he’s willing to weigh-in as a backup for Jones vs. Miocic whenever it happens. But if the Jones matchup never happens, Blaydes won’t be disappointed. He’s out for one thing only and that’s title gold.
“I’m not in this for glory,” Blaydes said. “That’s not what wakes me up and gets me working out in the morning. I’m here for money. And I know if I get the belt, I get more money. Whoever I have to fight to get the belt, I really don’t care who it is. It’d help, obviously, if it was Jon. It helps my legacy, but it’s not the end-all, be-all for me.”
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