‘Razor’ Looks to Cut Deep at UFC 327
The octagon in Miami, Florida, will receive two fighters from the Men’s Heavyweight Division who will create thunderous applause during every round they face each other at UFC 327! These two powerhouses are none other than Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit. UFC 327 even has two title fights that should occur after these two titans meet. However, the audience will be entertained as Blaydes and Hokit will be raining down strike after strike upon each other. The aftermath of which will then see one fighter move up in the rankings.
Blaydes is nicknamed ‘The Razor,’ and the nickname is not wasted because he has cut many of his opponents down with decisive knockouts. Professionally, these KO/TKOs have mostly come from his time outside the UFC, and at 35 years old, it is an impressive feat. His age hasn’t slowed him down at all, as most fighters are between 31 and 32 years old. He will carry the reach advantage in this fight, too. This will come at great cost to his opponent, who will try to get in close but will likely be buffeted away as a result. To call Blaydes a powerhouse is an understatement. He is definitely the heavier of the two fighters.
Hokit carries no nickname, but brings into the fight statistics that will give his opponent pause. One of these is that he is the younger of the two and has landed more strikes per minute. He could land more strikes here, but it will be a more difficult thing to do given his shorter reach. Hakit’s ground defense looks to be perfect versus his opponent's. This perfection was even developed after facing heavier opponents of the past, such as Denzel Freeman. The snare that he will need to watch for will be when he himself attempts a takedown. His opponent is taller than him, and will make it difficult for anything like a hip heist. Hakit could attempt a single-leg takedown, but the chance of success will be measured against how many significant strikes he receives during that moment.
Projections of this fight put ‘The Razor’ as the victor from this bout. This is believable given that he is a freight train of a man. His 29-year-old opponent will have to avoid any of his strikes that could be significant, while at the same time creating openings to gain significant strikes for himself. The problem with getting close to the freight train will be handling the momentum the train is carrying behind each strike. Hokit is used to facing heavier opponents, but not every fighter finds it easy to handle those with longer reach and heavier weight.
Blaydes makes sense to be selected as the winner from the combination of statistics gathered. There’s always a chance for the data to be wrong as well, but it’s hard when the facts are almost all giving favor to one fighter. Hokit does have greater strike accuracy, and that only matters if he can get in close. As stated above, that’s more than likely going to be hard for him to do due to his opponent’s longer reach. So reach for the remote to stream this fight on Paramount+ while taking in a fight that will be heard from around the world, and the sheer force both fighters will bring!
