Curtis Blaydes questions where Francis Ngannou is mentally heading into their rematch at UFC Fight Night 141 this month.

After Ngannou (11-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) won the first meeting by second-round TKO (via doctor stoppage) in April 2016, Blaydes (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will get his shot at redemption of the only loss in his MMA career.

The first matchup put both men on an upward trajectory in the heavyweight division. Ngannou went on a run that peaked with him challenging then-champ Stipe Miocic for the title, and Blaydes has gone on a six-fight unbeaten streak that’s established him as a top contender.

Blaydes said he knew a rematch with Ngannou would come to fruition eventually because it simply made too much sense.

“I wouldn’t say it kept me up at night, but I knew it would happen eventually,” Blaydes told reporters, including MMAjunkie, during a recent media scrum. “It was inevitable. I knew he’d be around, I’d be around. The UFC likes natural stories like this. We already have a natural storyline. It’s not fake. We had a fight, he won, but I didn’t get to finish it. So I do have a bit of redemption I want to get.”

UFC Fight Night 141 takes place Nov. 24 at Cadillac Arena in Beijing. Blaydes vs. Ngannou headlines the card, which streams entirely on UFC Fight Pass.

Gallery Photos: Best of Francis Ngannou view 19 images

Blaydes will enter the event off the most significant win of his career. “Razor” scored a brutal third-round knockout of Alistair Overeem at UFC 225 in June to extend his unbeaten streak to six consecutive fights.

Ngannou, meanwhile, comes into the rematch on a low. After tearing through the division to get a title shot against Miocic at UFC 220 in January, Ngannou was handed a one-sided loss in the championship bout. He flopped in his attempt to rebound, too, when he lost a heavily criticized decision to Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 in July.

Although Blaydes isn’t inside Ngannou’s head, he believes his upcoming foe probably isn’t in the best place, even if he wants him to be.

“He’s probably in a hole right now,” Blaydes said. “0-2 after being the hotshot? That’s got to be a dark, dark place. I want him to be his best. I don’t want any excuses out of his camp or the fans or the company. I want him at his best. I’ll beat him 10 out of 10 times.”

Blaydes had been pushing for a title shot following his win against Overeem in the summer. The chance to avenge his only loss is a good alternative, though, and despite the fact Blaydes doesn’t stress about the outcome of the first match, he said he’s eager to set the record straight.

“It is a loss,” Blaydes said. “On my record it’s a loss, but any loss that you don’t lose any sleep over is that one. It wasn’t the referee’s decision, it wasn’t the judge’s decision, it was the doctor.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 141, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.