(Exclusive): "I hope it happens" - Curtis Blaydes expresses interest for clash with Tom Aspinall

Curtis Blaydes recently weighed in on his current standing in the heavyweight division and expressed interest in a rematch with former foe Tom Aspinall.

'Razor' is coming off an impressive second round knockout win over Jailton Almeida at UFC 299, which earned him a post-fight bonus for Performance of the Night. Since then, Aspinall had made it clear that he would be open to a rematch rather than waiting on Jon Jones-Stipe Miocic fight.

While speaking to Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, the No.5 ranked UFC heavyweight mentioned that there is interest from fans in seeing him run it back with the interim heavyweight champion. He said:

"Don't have any updates but I'm right where everyone else is. Like, it seems like there's a swelling...and that's how fights happen. It's do the people want to see this fight? And it seems like for once, people want to see me fight, so I hope it happens. I hope this is enough to get the matchmakers to make it happen." [7:27 - 7:54]

It will be interesting to see whether the UFC will book Aspinall vs. Blaydes 2 as the Englishman suffered a knee injury resulting in their first bout ending in only 15-seconds.

Check out the full interview below:

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Curtis Blaydes willing to fight Tom Aspinall in UK

Curtis Blaydes recently expressed interest in a rematch with Tom Aspinall and noted that he would be open to fighting him in the U.K.

Their first encounter served as the main event of UFC Fight Night 208, which took place at the O2 Arena in London, England, so the No.5 ranked heavyweight is no stranger to fighting there.

During the aforementioned interview, Blaydes mentioned that he's not opposed to competing in enemy territory and actually enjoys it. He said:

"I like England. I'm willing to go back, it's fun. I like to go to other people's backyards." [8:00 - 8:07]

With Aspinall and Blaydes' recent performances, it will be interesting to see whether their bout is saved for a pay-per-view card rather than a Fight Night like their first encounter.