Perhaps one of the best things that came out of the UFC 304 fight week was Curtis Blaydes ‘ stance on his speech impediment. The heavyweight star’s comments highlighted the battles he has been waging outside the Octagon. This has definitely endeared him to the fans ahead of his heavyweight clash against Tom Aspinall. The fight will be a rematch of their previous clash in 2022 which Blaydes won because of an injury to ‘Honey Badger’.

Blaydes is entering the fight high on confidence after a dominating performance at UFC 299. But things were not really smooth for the 32-year-old during his childhood days. ‘Razor’ suffered from a stuttering problem which he has already been vocal about. But how exactly did he overcome that? Let us find out.

Curtis Blaydes shares an inspiring story about his father

Most UFC fighters come from a very humble background and work their way to the top. Each one of them has their struggles and has their way of dealing with them. However, Blaydes has had a very different struggle altogether. The 32- year-old faced stuttering problems during his childhood which he got from his father. Blaydes faced his first nightmare after his debut victory in the UFC. During the post-fight interview, he stuttered which caught the attention of many fans. However, the 32-year-old made it clear that he got it from his dad while speaking on the UFC 304 countdown. He said, “I have a stutter I’ve had it for as long as I can remember I got it from my dad. It’s genetic.”

Blaydes currently is the number 4 ranked heavyweight in the division and knocks out people for fun. During an interview with MMAMania.com, ‘Razor’ made it clear that he suffers from Speech Impediment problems and was bullied in his childhood. During the show he further added, “Growing up with it kids are mean everywhere but especially in Chicago they rip you apart.”

While the 32-year-old fought with it on his own and urged everyone to Google the problem, his father helped him in his journey. ‘Razor’ took inspiration from his father and said, “My dad he helped me build the tougher skin. So I just looked up to him. Like if he could get over and become a police officer and be able to speak with authority I could do it too.”

‘Razor’ currently holds a record of 18-4-0 with one no-contest inside the Octagon and has defeated some big names in the division. Aspinall is aware of the fact and before his clash spoke highly about his opponent.

Tom Aspinall is aware of the threat posed by Curtis Blaydes

There are very few fighters in the UFC who can intimidate Tom Aspinall in the heavyweight division. Not only does he have the power but also has the overall game to hurt his opponent.  But the Brit is aware of the threats his next opponent holds and is not taking the fight casually. Last time when the pair met Aspinall suffered a career-ending journey within the first fifteen seconds of the fight.

While the champion has recovered from the injury he still has memories of the night and even contemplated retiring from the sport.  Before his title defense he sat down for a chat with ‘The Count’ on his YouTube channel. While speaking to the former champion he made it clear that he is leaving no stones unturned in the fight. ‘Honey Badger’ said ” Curtis Blaydes is a serious guy very serious. He might not have the hype of a guy like Alex Pereira, you might not have the hype of Jon Jones. This guy’s as good as them guys and I have to treat him as such.”

Blaydes does indeed demand a lot of respect because of his recent performances. However, Aspinall will not give him an inch and will come out with all guns blazing at UFC 304. Who do you think will win the fight between the two? Let us know in the comments below.