Curtis Blaydes expressed interest in facing Francis Ngannou in a boxing match after he retires from the UFC. Blaydes stated he would like to do something like that when he hangs up his gloves, provided Ngannou is still active.
Curtis Blaydes has set his sights on a post-UFC boxing match with Francis Ngannou, stating he would pursue the fight once he retires from mixed martial arts — provided Ngannou remains active at that time.
Blaydes, nicknamed "Razor," currently sits fourth in the UFC heavyweight division at 35 years old. The American, who trains out of Elevation Fight Team, carries a professional MMA record of 19-6-0 and stands six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach. He is one of the most prolific wrestlers in the heavyweight division, averaging 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes, and lands significant strikes at a rate of 3.56 per minute with 50 percent accuracy.
Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion from Cameroon, holds an 18-3-0 record and ranks twelfth in the pound-for-pound standings. At 38 years old, he stands six-foot-four with an 83-inch reach — three inches longer than Blaydes — and carries a striking accuracy of 50 percent. Ngannou has already made inroads into professional boxing since departing the UFC, making the crossover bout a plausible proposition.
Why it matters
- Blaydes is a current top-five UFC heavyweight, so any post-retirement move carries significant name value
- Ngannou's existing boxing platform makes him a natural target for crossover matchmaking
- Both men share identical height at 193 cm, though Ngannou holds a notable reach advantage at 211 cm versus 203 cm
- The callout keeps Ngannou's name tied to MMA circles despite his boxing career
