Curtis Blaydes has responded to Josh Haukita's provocative behavior, comparing him to Colby Covington's approach to promotion. Blaydes acknowledged that while Covington was actually good at backing up his talk, he questions whether this style suits Haukita. The heavyweight contender stated that interacting with Haukita outside of fight week is a waste of time. Blaydes believes Haukita is simply trying to create viral moments for social media content. He made it clear he won't participate in this type of promotional approach.
Curtis Blaydes has fired back at Josh Haukita's trash talk, drawing a pointed comparison between his rival's behavior and the promotional style made famous by Colby Covington.
Blaydes, ranked fourth in the heavyweight division at 35 years old, carries a 19-6 record and has built his reputation as one of the most relentless grapplers in the sport. The six-foot-four Elevation Fight Team product lands an imposing 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes and connects on 50 percent of his significant strikes, giving him a well-rounded and statistically dominant profile at 265 pounds.
The heavyweight contender acknowledged Covington as a legitimate benchmark for the talk-your-way-to-relevance model, noting that the 38-year-old welterweight — who holds a 17-5 record and has backed his words with a career average of 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes — actually had the performances to justify his persona. Blaydes made clear he sees Haukita's approach as a pale imitation, driven more by the pursuit of viral social media moments than by genuine competitive intent.
Blaydes stated he considers engaging with Haukita outside of fight week a waste of his time, and that he has no interest in playing along with manufactured controversy designed to generate content.
Why it matters
- Blaydes sits at number four in the heavyweight rankings, meaning any high-profile feud carries real divisional weight
- His dismissal of Haukita's tactics signals he intends to let his fighting record do the talking rather than engage in an extended media back-and-forth
- The Covington comparison sets a clear standard in Blaydes's view: provocative promotion only holds value when elite performance backs it up
