Curtis Blaydes walked into UFC 327 ready for a battle and he got exactly that.
Curtis Blaydes went to war with Josh Hokit in one of the most chaotic heavyweight fights in recent memory. The three-round slugfest delivered nonstop action, but it also came at a cost. By the end of the night, Curtis Blaydes left the Octagon battered, bloodied, and heading straight to the hospital.
Doctors later confirmed that Curtis Blaydes suffered a fractured orbital bone and a broken nose following the brutal exchange. Despite the damage, his team expects him to return home to Colorado soon to begin recovery.
While the result did not go his way, Curtis Blaydes still walked away with a $100,000 bonus after he and Hokit earned Fight of the Night honors at UFC 327.
The fight itself lived up to every bit of the hype. Hokit pressed forward from the opening bell, throwing in volume and using his speed advantage to trouble Curtis Blaydes early. Still, Curtis Blaydes refused to back down. He fired back with heavy combinations that repeatedly put Hokit on shaky legs.
By the final horn, both heavyweights had combined for more than 350 significant strikes landed and over 640 thrown in a relentless back-and-forth war. All three judges scored the contest 29-28 in favor of Hokit, handing Curtis Blaydes a hard-fought loss.
Even in defeat, Curtis Blaydes gained respect across the MMA community. During fight week, fans rallied behind him as Hokit’s bizarre and over-the-top antics—including verbal exchanges with Jiri Prochazka—grabbed headlines.
After the fight, Curtis Blaydes addressed fans directly, embracing the moment despite the setback.
“Who watched the fights?” Blaydes wrote. “Streets are saying we saved the heavyweight division, is that accurate?”
Fans quickly responded with overwhelming support, praising both fighters for delivering a bout many now consider an all-time heavyweight classic.
The loss drops Curtis Blaydes to 2-3 in his last five fights, a stretch that includes setbacks against top contenders like Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. His last win came against Rizvan Kuniev, where he halted the rise of another promising newcomer.
Meanwhile, Hokit’s stock continues to soar. Now 3-0 in the UFC, he is already set for a high-profile clash against Derrick Lewis in Washington, D.C., following a late addition to an upcoming fight card.
Still, even without the victory, Curtis Blaydes proved something important at UFC 327. He showed durability, heart, and a willingness to stand and trade in a division that thrives on chaos.
Curtis Blaydes may not have had his hand raised but he left with something just as valuable: renewed respect and a fight fans will not forget anytime soon.
