While Curtis
Blaydes wants to end his MMA career in the
UFC, he fancies a boxing match after that.
Blaydes recently revealed that he wants to hang up his MMA gloves
while he is in the UFC. Blaydes draws inspiration from veterans
like Drew
Dober and Neil Magny,
who have both been in the UFC for over a decade and have gradually
assumed the roles of gatekeepers in their divisions. While Blaydes
wants to leave behind a legacy like theirs in the UFC, he wouldn’t
mind a big boxing match at the end of his combat sports career.
Blaydes wants to box former UFC foe Francis
Ngannou, who did well for himself financially in boxing after
retiring from the UFC.
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“I look at guys for inspiration like Drew Dober,
Neil
Magny. I want to be like them,” Blaydes told Home of Fight. “I
want to be in the UFC as long as I can, and I want to end with the
UFC. I want to have a legacy like theirs. I could see myself at the
end maybe taking a random boxing match against Francis
Ngannou, if he is active still. Something like that just on the
way out. But in terms of MMA, I do believe that I will only be with
the UFC and when I do end, it will be with the UFC. And I will be
happy with that.”
Shared History
Blaydes (19-6) made his UFC debut against Ngannou in 2016, where
his bloodied eye led to a doctor’s stoppage at the end of the
second round. Blaydes then went on a six-fight unbeaten streak
before facing Ngannou in a rematch in 2018. “The Predator” knocked
Blaydes out cold in 45 seconds in their rematch. Blaydes is coming
off a unanimous decision loss against Josh Hokit
in a “Fight of the Night” slugfest at UFC 327
this past April.
Meanwhile, Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 over a contract dispute.
Ngannou then lost a controversial split decision in a boxing match
against Tyson Fury
before being knocked out by Anthony
Joshua. Ngannou has competed only twice in MMA since, most
recently knocking out Philipe
Lins on a
Most Valuable Promotions card last month.
👀😳 Curtis
Blaydes would be interested to do a boxing match against
Francis
Ngannou after his UFC career is over:“Maybe I’ll get to do boxing against Francis
Ngannou if he’s still active. Something like that on the way
out”🎥 @Home_of_Fight
/ @LynchOnSports
pic.twitter.com/1TNd6s0qud— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
May 30, 2026