UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes said he would receive more backing from his company if he were a different nationality.
Blaydes is set to fight for the UFC heavyweight title. UFC 304 He faces interim champion Tom Aspinall, a somewhat surprising booking for the promotion given the ongoing battle between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic for the true championship. Heavyweight Belt.
The Illinois native appeared on “The MMA Hour” alongside Ariel Helwani and shared details about how the bout came about.
“I knew I was an option,” Blaydes said of a potential title fight, but he acknowledged the UFC has other options, saying, “You never know what’s going to happen.”
Blaydes also named Jones, Alex Pereira and even supposedly retired fighter and WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar as possible UFC contenders.
Helwani then mentioned former champion and world number two fighter Ciril Gane, who reportedly turned down a fight offer in order to star in a film.
“What about Cyril Gein?” Helwani Asked“So they asked him too? So what do you think about the fact that they asked him and then he turned it down because apparently he has a movie?”
“I just can’t imagine they’re paying him what he’s getting for a title fight.”
“I’m not surprised,” Blades responded. “I’ve been saying for two years that this is happening to me because he’s French. He only brings in French people. If I was Jamaican or German or anyone other than a regular American, I would have been pushed more.”
Gane is the only UFC titleholder to come from France and has main-ended the only two UFC events held in the country.
In September 2022, he defeated Tai Tuivasa at the Accor Arena in Paris, and in September 2023, he defeated Sergey Spivacs at the same arena.
“I don’t care. This is a business,” Blades continued, adding that he doesn’t understand why Gein would take a low salary for appearing in a film.
“It’s a marketing thing, so that’s fine. I’m glad he turned it down. I have no idea why he would turn it down when he’s in a movie and I don’t think I could ever pay him what he’d be getting for a title fight, but oh well. I’m glad he got the chance.”
The heavyweight boxer said he felt Aspinall was the true champion and, while Jones might be upset to hear that, he said he believes Aspinall is currently the best heavyweight boxer in the world.
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