Curtis Blaydes Was Going For a Bonus With UFC 217 Finish

Curtis Blaydes discussed the end of his win over Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 217 in a post-fight interview with MMAjunkie. Highlights are below:

On his kick to the face of Oleinik: “I was trying to get a bonus. That’s what I get for trying to get a bonus.”

On thinking he was going to get DQ’d: “I’m looking at (Oleinik’s) face, and he seemed happy. The way people reacted when I threw the kick, they had me second guessing, like, ‘Maybe I missed it, maybe I did kick him, (and) I just didn’t feel it.’ But watching the replay, I missed cleanly.”

On the win: “I was really hoping to get a clean knockout without having a doctor or any controversy. But a win’s a win, so I’ll take it…I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I won. I’m happy.”