Curtis Blaydes wants shot against UFC champion Jon Jones

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes isn’t shying away from a potential fight with champion Jon Jones. 

Blaydes, who’s unbeaten in his last three fights, believes he has the skillset to challenge one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time in Jones. 

“For all those reasons [I’m the toughest matchup]— I have the size, I have the wrestling, I have the athleticism, I have the speed, I have the agility,” Blaydes told MMA Fighting. “I have all the things you need to match up with a talent like Jon Jones.”

With 11 successful title defenses, Jones, who is the current heavyweight and former light heavyweight champion, is widely considered the greatest fighter in UFC history. 

After a dominant title run in the 205-pound division that included an 18-fight unbeaten streak, Jones moved up a weight class and became the UFC heavyweight champion against former interim title holder Ciryl Gane this past March at UFC 285.

Blaydes, who will fight No. 3 ranked Sergei Pavlovich this April 22, has never fought for a UFC title in his seven-year run with the promotion. A win over Pavlovich, who has defeated his last five opponents by knockout, would change that. 

With rumors of a Jones-Stipe Miocic title fight later this year, the winner of Blaydes-Pavlovich could be next in line for a shot at UFC immortality by early 2024.

With the most control time (1:20:06) in UFC heavyweight division history, Blaydes, an elite wrestler, believes he could keep anyone on the ground, including Jones. 

“I believe I could take him down. I believe once I take anyone down, the odds are in my favor,” Blaydes said. “I think that would be a fantastic matchup and I hope it happens.”

Blaydes will make his 16th UFC walk when he faces Pavlovich on UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.