The stakes are high for UFC contenders
In almost every other division, a fight between two contenders like Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes would probably have title shot implications.
That’s just not the case in the UFC’S heavyweight division, though.
With a trilogy fight between Daniel Cormier and champion Stipe Miocic set for later this summer, and Francis Ngannou firmly entrenched as the next in line for a title shot, the winner of Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas can’t realistically talk about fighting for the belt next.
Under no circumstances should that be seen as an indictment of this fascinating heavyweight matchup. There might not be a title fight in the immediate future of Blaydes or Volkov, but they’re both fighters with the potential to compete for a belt at some point down the line — and they likely will.
While a win might not earn them a title shot, it keeps them in the mix. That matters, so nobody should be thinking the stakes are low here.
It’s just that the Miocic-cormier-ngannou situation needs to play itself out before either Blaydes or Volkov can fight for the belt.
“It depends on what happens with Stipe. If he decides to retire, it will be a vacant belt and most likely Ngannou versus me for that vacant belt,” Blaydes said. “If he decides not to retire, it will be Ngannou versus Stipe and I’ll just wait for my turn.”
It’s worth noting that the logjam at the top of the UFC’S heavyweight division isn’t a bad thing.
Yes, it would have been nice if Miocic had defended his title at least once since he beat Cormier in their rematch last summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic played its part in that, especially because Miocic is a firefighter and had responsibilities as a first responder.
But heavyweight has never been the UFC’S deepest division. That there are so many fighters competing right now who could contend for the title is a sign of how far the weight class has progressed.
The records of Volkov and Blaydes show as much.
In six UFC fights, Blaydes has lost only once. He’s beaten Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve, and his lone defeat came after he dominated Derrick Lewis for three rounds before letting his guard down to get knocked out in the closing seconds.
Blaydes’ record is even more impressive. He’s beaten perennial contenders Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos and has won eight of his 11 fights in the UFC, with one no contest. His only losses have come against Ngannou.
You could drop Blaydes or Volkov into a title fight right now and there would be few complaints. So no, there’s not a title shot on the line, but the UFC has still booked one of the best wrestlers in the heavyweight division in Blaydes against one of the more accomplished and technical strikers in Volkov.
NOTES
It might not boast the biggest names, but Saturday’s card is sneaky fun. Raquel Pennington was fighting for the UFC bantamweight title two years ago and has fought only top opponents since, so her bout with Marion Reneau matters. Josh Emmett’s matchup with Shane Burgos has Fight of the Night potential, and fight fans are always going to tune in for Jim Miller … All fighters made their weight for Saturday’s card with the exception of lightweight Frank Camacho, who came in at 158 pounds for his matchup against Justin Jaynes.