UFC middleweight Chris Curtis will face former foe Brendan Allen this weekend at the UFC Apex.
‘Action Man’ has elected to take the fight on short notice, with his reasoning for doing so amusing fans ahead of #UFCVegas90:
The pair first faced off in 2021. From the outset, Curtis’ boxing superiority shone through. Crisp, clean hooks to the body paired with effective shot selection upstairs wore on Allen visibly during the first round. Allen’s markedly nonchalant demeanour left him open to Curtis’ heavy hands, which would turn out to be a grave mistake. Allen’s evidently desperate heel hook attempt to close the opening round punctuated what was a surprising open gambit, given the odds being stacked in his favour. Concurrently, this bout was Curtis’ second in the UFC octagon, having previously demolished Phil Hawes at UFC 268. Curtis would enter the cage as an underdog (+250 & +280 respectively) on both occasions.
Curtis, cornered by friend and Xtreme Couture teammate Sean Strickland, undeniably had all the momentum moving into the second.
The contest would come to an end in devastating fashion. A slipped jab, followed by a left to the body that had found the mark already on several occasions, dropped the left hand of Allen. Curtis capitalised, and closed the beautiful combination with a sharp straight right that buzzed Allen heavily. A flurry of strikes against the cage was enough for referee Herb Dean to call a stop to the contest. ‘The Action Man’ had beaten the odds and a formidable opponent, and was all set to catapult up the middleweight rankings. Conversely, it would not be so straightforward following this emphatic start to life in the UFC.
Chris Curtis’ Rollercoaster UFC Career
Chris Curtis has endured something of a rollercoaster career since his explosive arrival to the UFC in 2021. Four months after the win over Allen, the 37 year old was forced to withdraw from a bout with now champion Dricus Du Plessis, owing to a wrist injury. Conceivably, the middleweight division may have looked very different had the fight gone ahead. Du Plessis, at the time, was visibly levels below the fighter he is now. The rise in ability can arguably be attributed to the infamous nose surgery the champion underwent before his landmark victory over Robert Whittaker. With momentum on his side, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Curtis may have emerged victorious.
A subsequent win over Rodolfo Viera would secure Curtis bouts against middleweight stalwarts in Jack Hermansson and Kelvin Gastelum. Curtis would fall short on both occasions respectively. To many, this signified that Curtis had found his level. Falling short to top ten opponents on both occasions saw Curtis eventually fall to the #14 slot, where he finds himself to this day.
Despite this, there have been flashes of the great potential once shown. Once again the underdog, Chris Curtis faced Jaoquin Buckley in a salivating matchup at UFC 282. A second-round finish over fan favourite Buckley catapulted Curtis back into fans’ consciousness. When on song, he certainly warrants the nickname ‘Action Man’. Another display of clean, effective striking utilised in an aggressive fighting style certified Curtis’ ability to disrupt the division. With a consistent string of results, a position within the top 10 is more than viable. With this weekend’s opponent Brendan Allen occupying the #6 spot, now is the time for Chris Curtis to make his mark.
A Chink in the Armour
As is the norm, fans have been ripe with discussion ahead of this weekend’s action. Notably, many have been eager to point out potential faults in Chris Curtis, pertaining to the fighter’s attitude in defeat.
Particularly, a video surfaced on Reddit earlier this week exposing said issue. Footage featuring a bout between Curtis and much maligned Belal Muhammad, way back in 2014, appears to show Curtis reacting somewhat questionably in the immediate throws of a loss to Muhammad. Although visibly provoked, the lack of humility shown by Chris Curtis led many to chastise him, with one user purporting “He’s by far the sorest loser I’ve ever seen, without question, never fails to cry about every loss.”
The aforementioned loss to Gastelum also sparked controversy on Curtis’ part. Despite earning a respectable Fight of The Night, Curtis labelled Gastelum a “fat f*ck” in the aftermath, further threatening “I’m gonna bury you if I see you again.”
Before his arrival to the UFC, ‘Action Man’ would reportedly feign retirement on no less than three separate occasions. Most notably, he announced his retirement after failing to win a contract despite securing victory on Dana White’s Contender Series, two years before his UFC debut in 2018.
A lack of consistency could perceivably be tied to this mental shortcoming. A winning streak would inarguably see Curtis advance through the middleweight rankings. He must, however, learn to deal with defeat if he is to join the elite in the division.
Curtis vs Allen II: A Look Ahead
The odds are, once again, stacked against Chris Curtis this weekend. Stepping into the cage at +170, he stands a significant underdog ahead of the fight. Allen, conversely, boasts strong favourite odds of -200.
Unlike Curtis, it seems Allen is able to channel defeat correctly. The defeat back in 2021 has acted as a springboard, with ‘All In’ currently riding a six fight win streak. This impressive run includes five finishes, the most recent coming via rear naked choke over prolific submission artist Paul Craig. Allen has also voiced his desire for vengeance over what he penned a ‘fluke’ victory at the hands of Curtis in 2021:
“My preparation is what makes me me, the way I prepare physically, mentally, emotionally…It allows me to the best that I can do…I feel great and I’m ready to go test the waters and see if I’m as good as I think I am. I believe the first one was a fluke and I’m ready to go test that.”
Despite initially booked to face Marvin Vettori, Allen has no concerns over a late opponent change. Despite this, Allen has praised Curtis. Crediting him as having higher fight IQ and better technical ability than Vettori, it seems that Allen has learned lessons from 2021 and is unlikely to repeat the same mistakes that saw him lose the first encounter.
The current rankings are indicative of both fighters’ journeys respectively. Chris Curtis will need to be at his very best to overcome a flourishing Brendan Allen this weekend. A loss will see him fade into ambiguity, and at 36, time is not on Curtis’ side. I expect to see a younger, hungrier Brendan Allen come through with an important victory this weekend. With Curtis however famed for his physical durability, Allen will have his work cut out for him. Nevertheless, my money would be on a unanimous decision victory for ‘All In’.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
