Curtis Blaydes made no apologies about his strategy coming into a huge heavyweight fight with Derrick Lewis. Blaydes was going to use his dominant wrestling early and often. He told anyone who would listen.
Maybe it was a decoy. But Blaydes should have stuck to his original game plan as Lewis crushed him with an uppercut knockout at 1:26 of the second round Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
Blaydes gained confidence on the feet in the first round and only attempted one takedown, which Lewis stuffed.