Latest news with #Blaydes
Dominion Post
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Post 2 falls to Charleston Post 65, 11-4, faces elimination game Saturday against Beckley
MORGANTOWN – Morgantown Post 2 managed only four hits and committed three errors on Friday night in an 11-4 loss to Charleston Post 65 on Day Two of the 2025 WV American Legion Baseball State Tournament. Post 2 outfielder Kane Williams continued his hot streak at the plate with two doubles to lead Morgantown, but Charleston tallied 11 hits to score their 11 runs and advance to the 2-0 game against Wheeling Post 1 on Saturday night. Morgantown will square off with Beckley Bash Post 32 on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in an elimination game. Charleston starting pitcher Trisdon Ciampanella tossed 4.1 innings with only one hit allowed and ten strikeouts on Friday night. 'He (Ciampanella) threw a lot of pitches we weren't ready for,' Post 2 head coach Jacob Goonight said. 'He didn't have his fastball to start the game and was getting us to swing at pitches that were tough to hit. I don't think we honed in on our approach until the fourth inning when he left the game. We didn't change anything or try to adjust enough to win that game.' Charleston broke the ice in the third inning as Landon Nida singled home a run to give his team a lead it wouldn't surrender. Five more runs came for Post 65 in the top of the fourth on only three hits. Luke Buckner doubled, scoring two runs before an error allowed two more. Grant Barclay added a final one in the inning with a single. Post 2 got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Parker Jeffries scored on a wild pitch. Mason Chaney and Nate Wolfe then each singled home a run to cut the lead in half, 6-3. But Post 65 scored another run in the top of the sixth and added four more in the seventh to slam the door on the tournament hosts. 'It started from the bats for us, when you aren't hitting well, it feeds into other areas of the game,' Goodnight said. 'It just wasn't a clean game for us. We preach clean, fun baseball, and I don't think we played the opposite of that today.' BOX SCORE Charleston (Post 65) 11, Morgantown (Post 2) 4 CHRL 001 501 4 – 11 11 1 MRGN 000 031 0 – 4 4 3 Charleston Post 65 – Blaydes 2320 Nida 4112 Wilson 4100 Ferrell 4022 Barclay 5011 Barnett 4230 Tawney 3100 Buckner 4222 Anderson 2100 2B: Blaydes, Buckner Morgantown (Post 2) – McCune 3100 Boggs 2200 Williams 4021 Montague 2000 Chaney 4011 Wolfe 2011 Crudup 1000 Grabo 3000 Watson 3000 Jeffries 2100 2B: Williams (2) (W) Ciampanella 4.1ip 1h 3r 6bb 10k (L) Campbell 3.1ip 5h 5r 4bb 2k
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 results: Curtis Blaydes squeaks by Rizvan Kuniev – but win came at potential cost
Curtis Blaydes is back in the win column, but at what cost? On the UFC on ABC 8 main card Saturday, Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) defeated Rizvan Kuniev via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). The event took place at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The fight was competitive yet relatively uneventful. Kuniev, who made his UFC debut, was not out of place. After a strong first round from Blaydes, the hulking Russian took it to the perennial American contender. While one judge scored it for Kuniev, the other two leaned Blaydes. The closeness of the fight could be due to injury, as Blayes revealed during his in-cage interview that his left MCL "popped" in the first round. Should he be granted a relatively clean bill of health, Blaydes said he wants to fight Ciryl Gane next. Despite the divisional longevity for both men, they've never fought. With the victory, Blaydes bounces back into the win column in his first competition since July 2024 when he was finished in one minute by Tom Aspinall. Kuniev, 33, comes up short in his long-awaited UFC debut. His debut, including twice booked vs. Blaydes, was canceled three times prior to Saturday. Up-to-the-minute UFC Baku results include:
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ABC 8
Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 8 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 5-1 UFC main cards, 2025: 57-44-1 Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Baku preview Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) aims to rebound from an interim title challenge loss against Tom Aspinall last July. In the fight prior, "Razor" stopped Jailton Almeida in the second round with ground and pound, earning his fourth career Performance of the Night bonus. Throughout his entire career, Blaydes has never lost back-to-back fights. ... Kuniev (13-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut against one of the toughest tests in the division. After a first-round finish in his second appearance on Dana White's Contender Series in August, Kuniev gets an opportunity to prove himself under the UFC's bright lights. Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Baku expert pick, prediction Filling out the main card is a fight that the UFC has been trying to put together for some time now between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev. Despite Kuniev being brand new to the division, he's being matched up with one of the top-ranked perennial contenders in Blaydes. Kuniev's best win is an overturned no-contest to Renan Ferreira, where the Sanda fighter showed some grappling chops from both positive and negative positions. That said, Kuniev will likely have a harder time getting that kind of game going against a fighter who can both match him in size and wrestling. Blaydes has seemingly abandoned his wrestling faster than Daniel Plainview abandoned his son in recent years, but that doesn't change the fact that he's one of a literal handful of heavyweights who can actually wrestle, which counts for a lot. I'm not picking this fight as confidently as I should be, but the pick is for Blaydes to stay safe and secure a win by unanimous decision. Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Baku odds The oddsmakers and the public favor the American, listing Blaydes -260 and Kuniev +205 via FanDuel. Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Baku start time, how to watch Blaydes and Kuniev are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 4:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Curtis Blaydes: UFC Baku fight vs. newcomer Rizvan Kuniev 'doesn't help me at all'
Curtis Blaydes: UFC Baku fight vs. newcomer Rizvan Kuniev 'doesn't help me at all' Curtis Blaydes believes he's stuck in neutral ahead of UFC on ABC 8. In his first appearance since challenging for the interim heavyweight title last year, Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) will welcome newcomer Rizvan Kuniev to the promotion. UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. "My expectations for the fight this weekend are same as always: I expect to win," Blaydes told reporters at media day. While Blaydes aims to get back into the win column after losing an interim title bid against Tom Aspinall at UFC 304, the heavyweight wrestler doesn't see the matchup against Kuniev (13-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) as one that will get him closer to title contention. "This fight doesn't help me at all," Blaydes said. "This guy is unranked. So, I could knock him out with a flying knee – it doesn't matter." It's rare that a promotionally ranked top-five fighter would face an unranked fighter, but circumstances made it necessary for Blaydes. While Kuniev may not be a name that will help him move back up the ladder, it will help his bank account. Since his pay is the same whether or not there's a number next to his opponent's name, Blaydes decided it was time to collect a paycheck. "If you look at the availability of guys, there wasn't anyone available," Blaydes said. "Who wants to wait? I haven't had a fight since last July. I'd like to make some money this year." Blaydes recognizes that Kuniev is a threat inside the cage, but he views all heavyweights as such due to one-punch knockout power. If he's able to avoid that big shot and find a finish of his own, "Razor" Blaydes would love to get back into position to fight for the title soon, but he knows he'll have more work to do. "I would love to fight for the title," Blaydes said. "That would be another $800 grand in my pocket, but it's not gonna happen, so I'm not even gonna put that in my mind. Having that expectation would just lead to me being disappointed, and I don't want to be disappointed. So, I'll be realistic: I'll probably need another fight."
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Curtis Blaydes calls for Jon Jones to be stripped of UFC title: 'I'm over it already'
Curtis Blaydes calls for Jon Jones to be stripped of UFC title: 'I'm over it already' Curtis Blaydes is fed up with the holdup at the top of the UFC heavyweight division, so much so that he's calling for the promotion to move on without one of its biggest stars. Blaydes, a former UFC interim title challenger, thinks it's time for the UFC to strip Jon Jones of his title and carry on with the division. Blaydes believes this is long overdue and causing harm to the careers of many of the top contenders, including himself. "Without the (title) movement, where are we going to go?" Blaydes said Wednesday at UFC on ABC 8 media day. "Like, eventually No. 5 is going to move up and get a higher opponent, No. 4, No. 3 and so on. If he doesn't fight, like I said a month ago, I would like him to be stripped. We all get it. He's the GOAT, he's great, but if you're not going to be active, what are you doing holding the belt? I get what he's doing. He enjoys this. He enjoys his name being talked about. I'm over it already. It's been ... I don't even know how long it's been since he beat Stipe, but it's been long enough. I think he should be stripped." Jones has sparked plenty of controversy in recent years given his lack of activity as champion. He won the title in March 2023 and has only defended it once, and against Stipe Miocic, who was in his 40's and hadn't fought in three years by the time he stepped in the cage against Jones. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall won the UFC interim heavyweight title in November 2023 and has since defended it once against Blaydes. He's been waiting for a title unification bout with Jones. Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday against promotional newcomer Rizvan Kuniev (13-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the main card of UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+), which takes place at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. "Razor" Blaydes is hopeful of one day winning the UFC title. Should the top of the division get sorted out, Blaydes sees himself two wins away from title contention. "I view (Jones) as retired unless he proved otherwise. He's out of fights, out of mind," Blaydes said. "I'm not even thinking about Jon. That's what he wants, for people to ask, 'What do you think Jon is going to do?' I don't care. I don't care. The rest of the division, I'm looking to get someone top five after this. I need someone ranked. I need to beat a ranked opponent if I want to get a title shot, which is the goal. "I guess it just depends on who's available. Derrick Lewis, he fights July 15 or something like that, so timewise if he wins or Sergei (Pavlovich). I lost to both of them, so a rematch with either one of them would be dope. Or even (Cyril) Gane, I've been asking for Gane. There's a lot of options. I'd be happy with someone ranked above me."
