Blaydes rubbishes ‘glass jaw’ claims ahead of Aspinall fight

Curtis Blaydes has defended his knockout record ahead of this weekend’s interim heavyweight title fight against Tom Aspinall in the UFC 304 co-main event.

The American, who has been knocked out four times in his career, believes that his losses are part and parcel of being a heavyweight in mixed martial arts.

“It’s almost a different sport when you compare it to other weight classes,” Blaydes said on Monday.

“I wish people would take that into account when they judge or critique heavyweight.”

Blaydes is a heavy underdog heading into Saturday night’s fight in Manchester, England, with UFC bookmakers giving Aspinall odds of just -400 for victory.

Blaydes says he does not have a ‘glass jaw’

Each of Blaydes’ four losses in the UFC have come by way of knockout.

However, he insists he does not have a ‘glass jaw’ as some have claimed.

“I don’t think I have a glass jaw. I just think it’s heavyweight and we all hit hard,” the 33-year-old insisted.

“I got knocked out by Derrick Lewis, Sergei [Pavlovich] caught me but I wasn’t asleep and [Francis] Ngannou but again, I wasn’t asleep,” Blaydes explained.

“Three heavy, heavy hitters and I ate one from Mark Hunt, a real overhand. I ate that.”

Despite this, UFC betting sites still have Blaydes’ most likely method of defeat as a knockout.

Aspinall is paying -138.89 to win by knockout, which is much shorter than the odds for a submission (+300) or decision (+1200) result.

Why knockouts come easy at heavyweight

Blaydes himself has articulated why it is so easy to lose by knockout in the heavyweight division.

“The things you can get away with,” he said, explaining why less knockouts occur in lower weight divisions.

“You can flick out a lazy, inside leg kick and if you get hit with a hook, it’s not the end of the world.

“Not at heavyweight. That’s what happened to Alexander Volkov.

“He flicked out a lazy one with Derrick Lewis at the end of the fight, gets knocked out.”

The No.4-ranked heavyweight shared that he “likes to wrestle” to avoid the risk of an unlucky knockout.

However, Blaydes’ best chance of victory is also by knockout, with a return of +500 if he ends the fight early.

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