Curtis Blaydes says he respects Jailton Almeida despite pre-fight antics

Curtis Blaydes stated he respects Jailton Almeida as a fighter despite disliking the Brazilian's personality and pre-fight behavior. Blaydes explained it would be insincere and hypocritical to deny Almeida's fighting ability after their bout. The heavyweight contender acknowledged that while he doesn't enjoy Almeida's persona or antics, he must respect him inside the octagon. Blaydes rhetorically asked how he could not respect someone who broke his orbital bone during their fight. He emphasized that his respect for Almeida is specifically about his abilities as a fighter when they face each other with gloves on, separating the fighter from the personality.