Blaydes's plan to get the belt remains the same

Yes, all these moving parts can give headaches to any competitor. So, what to do like Blaydes? Focus on what is ahead of him and nothing else, and all that counts for Blaydes is his clash with Ngannou, an event that, he knew, was going to take place soon after the end of their first fight. April 2016.

"Yes, I knew it would happen," he said. "It was inevitable. In every post-fight interview, everyone always asked me the question and I always gave them the same answer: it would eventually happen. "

During this first fight, the competition ended after two rounds when the Octagon doctor intervened, resulting in the first and only defeat of Blaydes. Considering he became undefeated in six subsequent bouts, it may be assumed that the first thing to do on Blaydes' to-do list was a small return on investment, but that was not the case.

"I'm not one of those who lose enough sleep because of something in the past," he said. "It happened, he beat me and I always hoped and felt that I could have a chance of redemption. But if he had retired and we had never had a chance to fight, I could live with that. "

So, no image of Ngannou on his mirror to look for motivation every morning?

"Absolutely not," he laughs.

If you do not know it yet, the 27-year-old has a different approach to fighting than most others, and it's a refreshing twist.

"They think fighting is your life, but it's not the case," Blaydes said. "I can be happy outside the gym. I can find happiness in other things and I always find time for myself. I like to play video games, I like to watch Netflix, I like to eat and, as long as I can do the basics, I am happy. "

He also embodies the role of father of his daughter, born this summer, which gives even more motivation to the big heavyweights to reach the top. And all this continues with the rematch against Ngannou, who has had a difficult time seeing him lose back-to-back fights against Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis. The defeat against Miocic could easily be considered a mistake too early for the Cameroonian, but against Lewis, his absence of offensive shocked the supporters of the fight.