With a logjam at the top of the heavyweight division, Curtis Blaydes has no recourse but to get back into the octagon and defend his spot in the rankings.
On Saturday, Blaydes meets Alexander Volkov in the main event of UFC on ESPN 11. It’s anything but a “stay busy” fight for either man as it will go a long way towards showing who has better rounded out their games. Can Blaydes avoid Volkov’s rangy standup and impose his wrestling on the matchup? Does Volkov have enough takedown defense to avoid spending five rounds on his back?