Tag: Chris Curtis

UFC books Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov for Jan. 11 event

UFC middleweights Chris Curtis and Roman Kopylov will throw down in January.

UFC middleweights [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] and [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] will throw down in January.

Curtis takes on Kopylov in a UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 11, which is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA Fighting.

Curtis (31-11-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) was scheduled to face Kevin Holland in Saturday’s UFC 307 event, but he withdrew after fracturing his foot. In his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 240 in April, Curtis lost a split decision to Brendan Allen in his first headliner.

Winner of five of his past six, with four of those wins coming by knockout, Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is coming off a split decision win over Cesar Almeida at UFC 302 in June.

With the addition, the current UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 11 includes:

  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden

Chris Curtis forced out of UFC 307 bout vs. Kevin Holland due to injury

UFC 307 has lost a fun fight.

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] won’t be healthy enough for UFC 307.

After he was spotted Tuesday in a walking boot cornering teammate Mansur Abdul-Malik during Dana White’s Contender Series, Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) officially revealed Wednesday on X that he won’t be ready for his fight vs. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) due to a foot fracture.

The middleweight bout was expected to take place Oct. 5 as part of UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

“I’m fine, guys,” Curtis wrote. “Bit of a fracture in my left foot, caught @BorralhoCaio on the knee, at the very end of the last round of sparring . The bigger problem is I have something called a lisfranc injury as well, which means I’m not even supposed to be walking without crutches for… the next 4 to 5 weeks, which sucks but had it been any worse, it would have possibly been surgical. So count your blessings there. Hopefully, I’ll be OK for December. If not, I’ll see you all next year. Thanks for all the comments and concerns.”

It’s unclear if Holland will remain on the card or be rebooked for a later date vs. Curtis or someone else. Holland reacted with a quick Instagram in which he said, “F*cking Chris.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-of9WPJ8KL/

Curtis had just resumed full training after a hamstring injury suffered in his most recent appearance, a split decision loss to Brendan Allen in April. Curtis is 1-1 with one no contest in his most recent three outings.

Holland most recently competed in June when he defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk by first-round submission. The victory snapped a two-fight skid.

With the change, the current UFC 307 lineup includes:

  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Chris Curtis vs. TBA
  • Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Chris Curtis vs. Kevin Holland: Salt Lake City gets middleweight banger for UFC 307

A pair of middleweights who hit more like heavyweights are set to collide this fall at UFC 307.

A pair of middleweights who hit more like heavyweights are set to collide this fall at UFC 307.

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) will take on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) at the event expected for Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. People with knowledge of the matchup told MMA Junkie it is set. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the UFC has not formally announced the matchup.

Curtis needs to get back on track after a main event loss to Brendan Allen in April. Allen outworked him for a unanimous decision over five rounds in a rematch. Curtis knocked Allen out in 2021 and got a bonus for it, but Allen avenged things three months ago. Curtis had been trying to build on a January win over Marc-Andre Barriault.

Holland moved back to middleweight in June and finished Michal Oleksiejczuk with an armbar at UFC 302. That snapped a two-fight skid of welterweight losses to Jack Della Maddalena and Michael Page in his UFC debut. The win also gave him his eighth post-fight bonus in the UFC.

With the addition, the UFC 307 lineup now includes:

  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Chris Curtis vs. Kevin Holland
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC’s Chris Curtis hopes for ‘slobberknocker’ vs. Paulo Costa: ‘Give me my shot at the top 10’

Curtis Curtis wants a top-10 UFC opponent, and Paulo Costa fits the bill perfectly for him.

LAS VEGAS – UFC middleweight [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] is still healing up, but he’s getting there.

The hamstring he injured in April during the final seconds of his unanimous decision loss vs. Brendan Allen is nearing it’s final recovery stages. It may never be the same, admitted Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) – but it’ll be good enough.

“I’m a lot better than I was,” Curtis said Wednesday as he spoke to MMA Junkie Radio at SEICon at Virgin Hotels. “We had lots of improvements. I still had a differential between legs strength-wise. But they’re kind of thinking that might just be where I am now. Like, I’m missing part of my hamstring. It’s just gone. It’s de-spawned. It’s gone forever. So that may be my new normal. … You’ve got three parts of your hamstring. The inside part has two attachment heads. One of those heads just de-spawned forever, just never to be seen again. It just obliterated in the injury. It’s just gone.

“You know what? That’s life. You have half of that hamstring now. It is what it is. I feel good. I’ve been back training this week. Last week was my first full week of training. We’ve done the same thing this week. I’m back to wrestling. I’m back to sparring and everything else. This might just be my new normal. Forget it.”

Back to training, Curtis hopes for an October return. Now that he’s gained the UFC’s respect for his “anytime, anywhere” attitude, Curtis has told the promotion who he wants next and when.

“Personally, they already know,” Curtis said. “I want to fight Paulo Costa. I think that’s a fun fight. That’s a slobberknocker. That would be really fun. Nothing against Paulo Costa. I like Paulo Costa, but I feel like, honestly, I should’ve won the last fight. … I thought I won it. Most of the world thought I won it. But one of the judges was clearly high. Then, the other one got swayed by the last 10 seconds. What was the judge who scored it like four rounds to one. … You are high. Never judge again. You were terrible.

“… I thought I’d be inside the top 10. I didn’t get it. Let me fight Costa. Give me my shot at the top 10. I always jump if you guys need a fight. I’m the guy who jumps in. Let me have Costa. I think that would be really fun.”

Curtis, 37, has bounced between welterweight and middleweight throughout his UFC tenure, with mixed results against middle and upper-tier competition. He’s 3-3 with one no contest in his most recent seven outings.

Costa, 33, has competed twice in 2024 thus far, losing both fights by unanimous decision. The first was against Robert Whittaker; the second against Sean Strickland. The defeats moved Costa to 1-4 in his most recent five fights. His immediate next move is not clear.

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‘F*ck me’: Chris Curtis reveals Grade 3 hamstring tear suffered at UFC Fight Night 240

Middleweight Chris Curtis revealed bad news about his suspected hamstring injury from the UFC Fight Night 240 main event.

UFC middleweight [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]’ fears have been confirmed.

At UFC Fight Night 240, Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) dropped a split decision to Brendan Allen, but that was possibly the least of his concerns. Late in the bout, Curtis believed he tore his hamstring.

At the final horn, Curtis and Allen sat on the canvas next to each other,  Allen collecting his thoughts while Curtis grasped at his right hamstring in clear pain. After the announcement of the official decision, Curtis was placed on a stretcher to leave cageside.

Monday, Curtis, 36, received news that he feared: He completely tore his hamstring.

“Not the news I wanted…” Curtis wrote on X. “Grade 3 tear in my hamstring. Waiting on more info. F*ck me.”

Typical recovery for a Grade 3 (complete) hamstring tear could take anywhere from three to six months, including potential surgery.

It’s unfortunate news for Curtis, who likes to remain active. The UFC Fight Night 240 main event against Allen was Curtis’ second fight of the 2024, following a split decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 297.

“The Action Man” expects to learn more about his recovery process in the coming days.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Chris Curtis after UFC Fight Night 240 loss?

Chris Curtis could be looking at a tough road ahead despite a strong effort in his UFC Fight Night 240 main event loss to Brendan Allen.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Brendan Allen after UFC Fight Night 240 win?)

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] not only suffered a heartbreaking loss to Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night 240, but he was badly injured in the process.

At the tail-end of his split decision defeat to Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in their middleweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) seemingly tore his hamstring, resulting in him being taken from the octagon in a stretcher.

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Given his performance and the narrow nature of the result, Curtis’ stock likely doesn’t drop much. But a long recovery would be a tough blow for the 36-year-old.

What does the future hold for Curtis? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 240.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.

Chris Curtis fears torn hamstring after UFC Fight Night 240 loss, tells Brendan Allen ‘you owe me the trilogy’

Chris Curtis thinks the judges ripped him off at UFC Fight Night 240 and wants a trilogy fight with Brendan Allen once healthy.

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] thought he was going to get the decision nod against Brendan Allen on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 240, but it didn’t work out in his favor.

To make matters worse, Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) thinks he sustained a torn hamstring late in the split decision defeat to Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in the middleweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Curtis stepped in as a replacement for Marvin Vettori on three weeks’ notice at UFC Fight Night 240 in a rematch of his December 2021 knockout of Allen. He showed again that he’s a tough matchup for “All In,” going five rounds and convincing one of the judges to score it in his favor. The other two didn’t, though, and Curtis came out with the loss.

He reflected on the result in a post-fight statement where he also addressed injury concerns. Curtis also said he hopes to get a trilogy fight with Allen down the line (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5cboABxOFr/

Not the result we wanted, but it is what it is. I thought we had it, but congrats to @b_allen185. Love you brotha and enjoy the night. But remember, it’s 1-1, you owe me the trilogy lol. Rest up and enjoy your family. Thank you all for the support, and I’m sorry. I felt good, I was ready, maybe I’m just getting to old for this shit. Lol time will tell. Until next time guys.

Edit: btw guys, it looks like I tore my hamstring. Popped it in round 2 and we think it tore in round 5 at the end. We’ll find out on Monday after we get some scans. Thank you guys for the concern.

If Curtis’ worst fears come true, he could be looking at a lengthy absence from competition. A fully torn hamstring typically requires surgery, and the recovery window could last anywhere from three to six months.

At 36, it could be a career-altering situation for Curtis, but his spirits appeared rather high in the aftermath of the competitive bout with Allen, which multiple fighters deemed the Fight of the Year so far in 2024.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.

UFC Fight Night 240 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $2 million

UFC Fight Night 240 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 240 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 240 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 240 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Chepe Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Christos Giagos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Charlie Campbell[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Victor Hugo[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Falcao[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dylan Budka[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Melissa Mullins[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2401 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,005,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,742,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.

UFC Fight Night 240 results: Brendan Allen ekes out win vs. Chris Curtis in momentum-shifting affair

After UFC Fight Night 240 main event, Chris Curtis was stretchered away from the cage after injuring his leg in the final seconds.

It wasn’t easy, but [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] got one back against [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag].

In the UFC Fight Night 240 main event, Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) defeated Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The fight was closely contested throughout and most took place in kickboxing range. Allen found some success with his grappling and submission attempts, but was unable to configure anything significant.

Curtis, even when outboxed in sequences, seemed to always rebound with bigger and harder shots. He hurt Allen on multiple occasions in the latter half of the fight. Allen hung tough, however, and ate what Curtis served up, including a big knee in Round 5.

In the final seconds, both fighters were exhausted. As they rose up from a scramble, Curtis appeared to suffer a right leg injury and was stretchered away from the cage following the reading of the official decision.

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The first fight between Curtis and Allen took place in December 2021. Curtis won that meeting by second-round TKO. The rematch Saturday was made on less than one month’s notice after Marvin Vettori withdrew from his scheduled bout vs. Allen.

With the victory, Allen has won seven fights in a row. He called for a title shot against middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis during his in-cage interview with commentator Michael Bisping.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 240 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.

UFC Fight Night 240: Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 240 odds between Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 240 (also known as UFC on ESPN+ 98 and UFC Vegas 90) at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC Fight Night 240: Allen vs. Curtis odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 3 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on ESPN+, while the main card starts at 6 p.m. ET, also on ESPN+.

Records: Allen (23-5-0) | Curtis (31-10-0)

Allen has picked up 6 consecutive victories, with 5 coming via submission. That includes a 3rd-round win against Paul Craig last time out in mid-November in the main event. He also submitted Andre Muniz in a Fight Night main event in Feb. 2023 with another 3rd-round win.

Curtis picked up a split-decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 297, bouncing back after a no-contest against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289. He has finished inside the distance just once in his past 5 fights, not including the Imavov bout.

Allen is 8 years younger than his counterpart, while Curtis has a slight half-inch reach advantage. Curtis also has a 5.96-to-3.87 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although “All In” is much more accurate at 60.72% with those strikes, to 52.70% for Curtis.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 240: Allen vs. Curtis

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:20 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Allen -225 (bet $225 to win $100) | Curtis +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
  • Over/Under: 3.5 rounds (Over -110 | Under -120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +150 | No -210)

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UFC Fight Night 240: Allen vs. Curtis picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Allen (-225) will cost you a little more than 2 times your potential return, and that’s too risky on the 2-way line. Instead, let’s get a little more specific.

ALLEN BY SUBMISSION (+175) is the way to go, for a chance to nearly double up. He has been a submission machine since arriving at the UFC level, and really, all throughout his pro career. His go-to move is the rear-naked choke or the triangle choke while also scoring a win with a keylock.

Curtis (+180) will have to do everything in his power to avoid going to the canvas, or this thing will be over quickly.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 3.5 ROUNDS (-120) is priced right, and it’s a strong play. He is going to work hard to get Curtis up against the fence as quickly as possible.

Curtis has ended inside the distance just once in the past 5 fights, not including the no contest, but he hasn’t faced a powerful wrestling force of Allen’s caliber.

Look for Allen to get the job done, and don’t be surprised if we see a choke-out in Rounds 1 or 2.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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