Top-5 heavyweight Curtis Blaydes reportedly booked for fight with UFC newcomer Rizvan Kuniev

Nobody can accuse Curtis Blaydes of ducking fights.

The former UFC interim heavyweight title challenger, currently ranked No. 5 in the weight class, is reportedly set to welcome debuting prospect Rizvan Kuniev to the Octagon. The fight is apparently set for Feb. 22, when the UFC returns to Seattle.

The matchup as announced by another UFC heavyweight in Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Rozenstruik, who trains alongside Kuniev, at American Top Team, revealed the surprising booking in an interview with James Lynch.

Tidbit from this interview 👀

Rozenstrick says his teammate Rizvan Kuniev is making his UFC debut in February against Curtis Blaydes https://t.co/NrqRbeB76p

— James Lynch (@LynchOnSports) December 13, 2024

Curtis Blaydes has not fought since he came up short in an interim title fight with champion Tom Aspinall this past summer. That was the pair’s second meeting. Blaydes won their first encounter after Aspinall suffered a freak leg injury in the opening minute. He remains the only man to beat Aspinall in the Octagon. He also holds wins over top talent like Jailton Almeida, Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, Alistair Overeem, and Mark Hunt.

Who is Rivzan Kuniev?

While Kuniev has yet to fight in the UFC, his name may be familiar to some fans. He first entered the MMA limelight with a knockout of Edivan Santos on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, but was not signed by the UFC boss. After a submission of UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC promotion, he then moved to the PFL. Kuniev beat Renan Ferreira by decision in his debut, but the win was overturned when he tested positive for multiple banned substances.

He later returned to Contender Series, and earned a contract with a KO of Hugo Kunha. He was originally set to debut against Martin Buday at UFC 310 earlier this month. However, the fight fell through due to a Buday injury.

It seems that shake-up has turned into a blessing, as he’s now set to fight one of the UFC’s best heavyweights in Blaydes.