Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev — Fight recap

Curtis Blaydes secured a split-decision victory over Rizvan Kuniev on June 21, 2025, in a three-round heavyweight bout that saw the American control the pace through superior striking volume and cage time. Blaydes landed 56 of 95 significant strikes (58%) while Kuniev managed 45 of 108 (41%), with Blaydes' leg kicks proving particularly effective at 19 of 20 landed.

Though Blaydes struggled with takedown efficiency, converting just 2 of 15 attempts (13%), he dominated control time with 5:21 compared to Kuniev's 0:26, allowing him to dictate the fight's tempo throughout. Kuniev's high strike volume came largely from distance and lacked the precision needed to sway judges, while Blaydes' technical striking and positional dominance carried the decision.

The split verdict underscores how close the fight appeared on the scorecards, but Blaydes' clinch control and leg-kick game proved decisive in securing the win.