Curtis Blaydes vs Mark Hunt — Fight recap

Curtis Blaydes defeated Mark Hunt via unanimous decision after three rounds on February 10, 2018, with referee John Sharp officiating. Blaydes dominated through relentless wrestling, landing 10 of 14 takedown attempts for a 71% success rate while controlling Hunt for 9:35 of the fight.

The American heavyweight also out-struck Hunt 56 significant strikes to 14, connecting on 53% of his striking attempts compared to Hunt's 43%. Hunt managed one knockdown and landed just 14 of 32 significant strikes, but his inability to defend the takedown or generate offense from the bottom left him with virtually no control time.

Blaydes' grappling-heavy approach neutralized Hunt's striking advantage and showcased a technical wrestling game that would establish him as a legitimate heavyweight contender moving forward.