Curtis Blaydes weighing his options following UFC Columbus win: “I view Stipe Miocic & Ciryl Gane as the same opportunity”

Curtis Blaydes is riding high following his UFC Columbus victory and he could be in for a massive fight next.

Blaydes shared the Octagon with Chris Daukaus this past Saturday night (March 26). While Blaydes has been racking up wins consistently, some have knocked him for not having enough standout performances. That certainly changed on this night as “Razor” floored Daukaus with a punch and ended the fight with ground-and-pound in the second round.

Having gone 6-1 in his last seven outings and earning a “Performance of the Night” bonus, Curtis Blaydes is in prime position for a big fight. Two names that have come to mind for many are former UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic and former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.

During the UFC Columbus post-fight press conference, Blaydes said that whether he fights Miocic or Ciryl Gane next, both will lead to a title opportunity if he’s victorious (h/t MMAFighting.com).

“I view them as the same opportunity. A win over Gane, who was on a hot streak, who was just in a title fight, a win over him should put me as the next title contender. Same thing with Stipe.

“He’s the GOAT, in my opinion. He’s the GOAT of this heavyweight division. He honestly deserved a [championship] rematch a while ago but if he’s willing to risk it against me and I beat him, that’s the same thing to me. It’s a title shot for me would be the next thing for me after beating Gane or Stipe.”

Blaydes went on to admit that from a historical standpoint, a win over Stipe Miocic would mean more. With that said, the number four-ranked UFC heavyweight seems content with sharing the Octagon with either man.

Blaydes and Miocic have a history with one another. Miocic brought Blaydes to his camp back in 2014 in order to brush up on his wrestling ahead of a showdown with Gabriel Gonzaga.