Preview: UFC Baku ‘Hill vs. Rountree’

Heavyweights
Curtis Blaydes (18-5, 13-5 UFC) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (12-2-1, 0-0 UFC)
UFC Baku Betting Odds: Blaydes (-285), Kuniev (+230)

After multiple cancellations, Kuniev’s UFC debut finally lands here. The UFC is apparently attempting to make Kuniev an immediate contender, and there are worse ideas, even if the Russian has some clear concerns. Kuniev failed to earn a contract on the Contender Series in 2021, earning a finish but tiring badly in the process, but he rebounded well enough, running through UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton and impressively mauling Renan Ferreira over three rounds in the PFL. The Ferreira fight seemed to be a turning point for Kuniev, who showed up in the best shape of his career and showed a level of cardio that had previously eluded him—which made it less of a shock when the win was overturned due to Kuniev failing a drug test for multiple banned substances. Kuniev was back in his previous form for a return appointment on the Contender Series last year, when he looked solid enough in quickly dispatching his opponent, but questions remain as far as how Kuniev will look down the stretch against better opposition. To that end, Kuniev’s initially planned UFC debut against Martin Buday in December looked like just about the perfect test. Buday’s been on the fringes of or just outside of the UFC’s heavyweight rankings and has typically been the type of durable heavyweight that asks some hard questions of flawed fighters. But with Buday out of that fight and that matchup completely scrapped, the UFC has repeatedly attempted to book Kuniev against Blaydes, who fought for the interim title in his last bout. At the very least, it’s a fresh matchup for Blaydes, who finds himself stuck outside of the title picture but with little to prove as a potential contender.



Blaydes came to the UFC as a mauling wrestler—an attribute that’s still his best skill—and did well to build out a solidly effective striking game with an impressive level of technique. There are a few victories where Blaydes has been able to win and score knockouts cleanly on the feet without even having to pivot to his best weapons. But even with that, he’s still not a natural striker and there’s some clear clunkiness when Blaydes tries to mix the two phases. He can become a bit tentative about when to shift into pursuing his takedowns, particularly against faster opponents that can stun Blaydes and get him quickly on his heels. That’s made for some poisonous matchups against top heavyweights such as interim champ Tom Aspinall, who knocked Blaydes out in a minute flat in July, but Kuniev doesn’t seem to have the right formula to win here. He can throw a bit, so there’s certainly a chance, but by default, he seems likelier to try and outgrind the best wrestler in the heavyweight division, which just should wear him out sooner rather than later. The pick is Blaydes via second-round stoppage.

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Hill vs. Rountree
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The Prelims