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Curtis Blaydes revealed he respects Josh Hockett as a fighter despite disliking his personality and pre-fight antics. Blaydes acknowledged it would be insincere and hypocritical to dismiss Hockett's abilities after their bout. While stating he doesn't appreciate Hockett's behavior and persona outside the cage, Blaydes emphasized he cannot help but respect him as an opponent inside the Octagon. He rhetorically asked how he could not respect someone who proved their fighting skills against him. The heavyweight contender made clear his respect is specifically for Hockett's in-cage performance, separating the fighter from the personality.
AgentMMA.com
