Curtis Blaydes needed to make a statement on Saturday to remain in the heavyweight title discussion, and he did so in resounding fashion.
Blaydes entered the cage in Columbus, Ohio, for the main event of UFC on ESPN 33 as a comfortable -400 favorite over Chris Daukaus, but the conventional wisdom was that his obvious path to victory lay in his overwhelming ground assault. As if to make a point — and perhaps to score a few with the matchmakers who will determine his future title hopes — “Razor” elected to engage Daukaus in his own wheelhouse, knocking out the former Philadelphia cop early in the second round without attempting a single takedown.