Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hockett participated in their first official face-off ahead of their fight at UFC 327. The staredown is part of the standard fight week promotional schedule. The post includes a poll for fans to predict the winner. This face-off comes amid Hockett's unusual promotional behavior leading up to the fight. No additional details about the weight class or position on the card were provided.
Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hockett squared off face-to-face for the first time during UFC 327 fight week, with the two heavyweights going nose-to-nose as part of the standard promotional schedule ahead of their bout on Saturday, April 11.
Blaydes, known as "Razor," enters the fight ranked fourth in the heavyweight division with a record of 19-6-0. The 35-year-old American trains out of Elevation Fight Team and presents a physically imposing package at six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach. He has built his reputation as one of the division's most relentless grapplers, averaging an elite 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career, while also contributing on the feet with 3.56 significant strikes landed per minute at 50 percent accuracy.
Hockett's verified statistics were not available at the time of this report, though the build-up to the fight has drawn attention due to what has been described as unusual promotional behavior on his part in the lead-up to the contest.
Why it matters
- Blaydes sits fourth in the heavyweight rankings, meaning a strong performance keeps him firmly in title contention
- Hockett's pre-fight conduct has added an extra layer of intrigue to a matchup that was already drawing attention
- Blaydes' elite wrestling versus an opponent whose approach has been unconventional sets up an unpredictable stylistic dynamic
Saturday, April 11, 2026
