Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Curtis Blaydes after knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC Beijing?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone as UFC FIght Night 141 blew the roof off Cadillac Arena last Saturday (Nov. 24, 2018) in Beijing, China. Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including UFC newcomer Sergey Pavlovich, who was beatdown by Alistair Overeem in his first-ever fight inside the Octagon (recap here). And David Zawada, another UFC rookie who couldn’t make the splash he wanted, getting knocked out by Li Jingliang in the first round.

But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?

Curtis Blaydes.

Coming into his rematch against Francis Ngannou, Blaydes had to feel it was a high-risk fight, seeing as how “The Predator” was coming off two straight losses. Meanwhile, Blaydes was scorching hot with five wins in a row, six if it hadn’t been for a failed drug test (details). Still, the reason(s) for “Razor”accepting the fight aren’t too hard to figure out, as Ngannou already had a win over him, ruining his UFC debut back in 2016 after his swollen eye was too much for the doctor’s comfort.

This time around, though, the fight didn’t go long enough for any man to receive major damage, as Ngannou ended the bout in less than one minute thanks to a wicked right hand. After stumbling back to his feet, Blaydes was clipped again and was on the receiving end of a few more strikes to the dome before the referee felt enough was enough.

And just like that, the man who spoiled his first UFC fight ended Blaydes’ win streak, which will now force “Razor” to start from scratch. But, don’t think he has lost any confidence:

Took one on the chin tonight, I will be back with the same confidence #sometimesyourthenail#minorsetback#tooyoungtostopnow

Blaydes is clearly looking at the bright side. Indeed, he is still only 27 years old and has the time and skillset to reel off another four, five or six straight wins. Hopefully, it doesn’t take that many victories for him to become a legit option for a championship fight, as he has proven he has the chops to mix it up with the best of them.

Ngannou, it seems, simply has his number.

As for what could be next for Blaydes, perhaps a showdown against Alexander Volkov is in order. The Russian banger is still probably waking up from his knockout loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 last month, and a fight against “Razor” could be enough to get him back in the gym. Both men will be looking for that much-needed “W” so you know they will come out aggressive to get the job done.

Unless, of course, you have a better idea?

For complete UFC “Beijing” results and coverage click here.