Curtis Blaydes commented on Josh Hewitt's provocative behavior leading up to their fight. Blaydes compared Hewitt to Colby Covington, noting that Hewitt is trying to fill that niche but acknowledged that Covington was actually good at it. Blaydes stated that Hewitt's approach is not for him and he won't participate in that type of behavior. He believes Hewitt is just trying to create viral video moments, and considers interacting with him outside of fight week to be a waste of time. The comments reflect Blaydes' dismissive stance toward pre-fight trash talk.
Curtis Blaydes has publicly dismissed the pre-fight antics of Josh Hewitt ahead of their upcoming bout, comparing his opponent's behavior to that of welterweight contender Colby Covington.
Blaydes, ranked fourth in the UFC heavyweight division, made clear he has no interest in playing along with what he sees as manufactured provocation. The 35-year-old from the United States, who trains out of Elevation Fight Team, carries a 19-6-0 record and has built his reputation on relentless pressure and elite grappling. Standing six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach, "Razor" averages 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at a 50 percent accuracy rate — numbers that speak louder than any war of words.
Blaydes acknowledged the comparison to Covington has some logic behind it, noting that Covington — the 38-year-old "Chaos," who holds a 17-5-0 record and has refined trash talk into a genuine promotional tool — was at least effective at what he does. The implication was clear: Hewitt, in Blaydes' view, is attempting the same routine without the same execution. Blaydes described Hewitt's conduct as an attempt to generate viral moments and said engaging with him outside of fight week amounts to a waste of his time.
Why it matters
- Blaydes holds the number-four ranking in a heavyweight division where every positioning move carries title implications.
- His refusal to engage in back-and-forth exchanges could reflect a focused, businesslike camp ahead of a meaningful divisional matchup.
- The Covington comparison sets a clear psychological frame: Blaydes is signaling he views Hewitt's approach as imitation rather than genuine edge.
