Curtis Blaydes Escaped Kuniev’s Debut Challenge
Curtis Blaydes defeated Rizvan Kuniev by split decision at Baku Crystal Hall on June 21, 2025. The heavyweight contest ended with two 29–28 cards for Blaydes and a third judge favoring Kuniev by the same margin after three closely contested rounds.
Early wrestling established Blaydes’s strongest stretch
Blaydes immediately pursued a double-leg takedown and brought Kuniev down. Although the newcomer stood quickly, Blaydes stayed attached with a body lock and controlled the position against the fence.
Kuniev eventually separated and began advancing with punches. Blaydes continued looking for another entry as the opening round approached its conclusion.
Kuniev’s defense opened the striking exchanges
Kuniev resisted Blaydes’s takedown attempts in the second and found success with his jab and straight right. As he settled into the contest, Blaydes had greater difficulty completing the wrestling sequences that had worked early.
The third included more defended entries and a knee from Kuniev as Blaydes moved forward. Their contrasting successes left the final round decisive on the scorecards.
A divided final round determined the result
All three judges gave Blaydes the first and Kuniev the second. Eric Colón and Darryl Ransom favored Blaydes in the third, while Ben Cartlidge awarded it to Kuniev.
The result returned Blaydes to winning form after his interim-title defeat to Tom Aspinall at UFC 304. Kuniev’s first UFC appearance instead ended in a narrow loss against an established heavyweight contender.
Sources
- UFC: Baku date, venue and official judges’ cards
- UFC: June 21 Baku results and finish classifications
- Cageside Press: opening takedown, fence control and Kuniev’s striking response
- MMA Decisions: individual judges’ round assignments
- UFC: preceding interim-title loss to Aspinall
