Blaydes dominates Volkov with takedowns at UFC Fight Night

Curtis Blaydes defeated Alexander Volkov via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-46) in the heavyweight main event at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.

"Razor" dominated his opponent from start to finish, landing 14 takedowns in 25 attempts. Blaydes wasted no time, recording his first one 10 seconds into the five-round contest.

Volkov did a good job of limiting Blaydes' offense on the ground, but he ultimately struggled to get back to his feet. Blaydes stayed heavy on the ground and successfully remained in dominant positions for several minutes at a time.

Blaydes seemed to tire out at the end of the fourth round, opening a small window for Volkov to rally late. But he played it smart in the final frame, taking the Russian down and avoiding any power shots in the striking department.

With the victory, Blaydes has won four straight bouts and is close to a title shot in the heavyweight division. Volkov, meanwhile, dropped to 1-2 in his past three outings.