UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes will step into the Octagon against Rizvan Kuniev at a UFC Fight Night card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Feb. 22, sources told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn.
The match is expected to be a three-round contest.
Blaydes (18-5, 1 NC) will aim to bounce back from a loss to Tom Aspinall in their rematch at UFC 304 in July where he suffered a first-round knockout at the hands of the interim heavyweight champion. Aspinall avenged a TKO loss to Blaydes where he lost after sustaining a knee injury 15 seconds into their first fight in July 2022.
Despite his recent loss, "Razor" is the No. 5-ranked heavyweight in the promotion. Blaydes scored a second-round TKO over Jailton Almeida at UFC 299 in March after being stopped in the first round by Sergei Pavlovich in April 2023.
Kuniev (12-2-1, 1 NC) will look to make a big splash to begin 2025. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound fighter was signed to the UFC roster in August following a first-round TKO win over Hugo Cunha in Dana White's Contender Series. The Russian heavyweight has fought under several different banners, including Eagle Fighting Championship and the PFL.
