NASHVILLE – If you go to the MMA Junkie Instagram page, there’s a good chance you will see UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes in the comments section of one or more posts interacting with fans.

Sometimes it’s positive, but more often then not it’s negative, such as this week when Blaydes (10-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was attacked over his lifelong speech impediment following a clip from UFC on ESPN+ 6 open workouts in advance of his matchup with Justin Willis (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

MMA is a sport that was largely build through the internet, and the power of that tool is perhaps more significant than ever today. Many athletes choose to avoid the comments sections, but Blaydes is the opposite and said that’s aided by the fact he has thick skin.

“I come from the wrestling world where there’s not a lot of talking,” Blaydes told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at UFC on ESPN+ 6 open workouts. “(Ben) Askren, he’s a little different. Most wrestlers, we don’t really talk a lot. When I hear someone say something I feel is disrespectful or inaccurate, I don’t get why people have an issue with me giving them my insight. That’s what fans I want, that’s what social media is about – interacting with athletes they want to follow or entertainers or whatever.

“I like it because sometimes I do have good conversations with fans and sometimes you do get the A-holes that just want to say wild stuff to have a screen shot to show to their buddies. Sometimes I indulge them, sometimes I block them. It just depends on the day.”

Although Blaydes is typically not hesitant to respond to criticism, he said he doesn’t carry any negative feedback with him once he puts his phone down. “Razor” said he gains some level of joy out of correcting inaccuracies, and that’s one of the reason he chooses to engage online.

“It’s kind of funny sometimes,” Blaydes said. “A lot of the comebacks are, ‘What are you doing responding to me? You tagged me. I don’t see myself as that big that I can’t talk to anybody. If you tag me and you say, ‘Blaydes is a bum,’ I’m going to respond and go, ‘No, I’m not, though.’ Sometimes fans like it. Sometimes they really feel adamant I’m a bum and want me to go back and forth. I like the interactions though, I do.”

UFC on ESPN+ 6 takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Blaydes vs. Willis co-headline the card, which streams on ESPN+.

Blaydes doesn’t mind pushing back to online harassment, but he is reluctant to do the same in real life, especially when it comes to his next opponent Willis, who has unleashed a verbal assault on Blaydes ahead of fight night.

Blaydes is not keen to acknowledge anything that’s come from Willis’ direction, and while he said he will move on from it post-fight, he doesn’t expect to be meeting “Big Pretty” for a beer at the bar after they share the octagon.

“He just likes to talk a lot,” Blaydes said. “I’m not a big talker. I come from a wrestling background. You don’t talk on the mat. … He wants to the the next Colby (Covington) or the next (Conor) McGregor and he’s trying to talk himself into it. If that’s what you got to do that’s what you’ve got to do, but I’m not going to engage in that.”

For more on UFC on ESPN+ 6, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.