Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hockit have completed their first official face-off in advance of their fight at UFC 327. The traditional pre-fight staredown occurred as part of the promotional build-up to the event. No additional details about the nature of the encounter or any verbal exchanges are provided in the brief report. The face-off represents a standard milestone in fight week activities. This comes amid Hockit's ongoing controversial promotional campaign featuring unusual and provocative statements aimed at various fighters.
Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hockit stood across from each other for the first time Wednesday during the official pre-fight face-off ahead of their heavyweight clash at UFC 327, scheduled for April 11.
Blaydes, nicknamed "Razor," enters the bout ranked fourth in the heavyweight division with a professional record of 19 wins and 6 losses. The 35-year-old American trains out of Elevation Fight Team and brings an imposing physical frame to the matchup, standing six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach. He has built his reputation as one of the division's most relentless wrestlers, averaging 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes — a figure that ranks among the elite at heavyweight. He also contributes offensively on the feet, landing 3.56 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate.
Hockit has drawn attention during the promotional build-up to UFC 327 for a campaign marked by unusual and provocative statements directed at multiple fighters, keeping him in the spotlight heading into fight week.
Why it matters
- A Blaydes victory would reinforce his position as a legitimate top-four heavyweight contender and keep him in the title conversation.
- Hockit's willingness to engage in aggressive promotion has raised the profile of the matchup beyond what a typical preliminary or co-main booking might generate.
- Blaydes's elite grappling output poses a stylistic challenge that few heavyweights have solved consistently, making the contest a meaningful test for Hockit.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
