Chris Curtis: ‘I’d Rather Fight Than F---‘

Curtis headlines tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night in a middleweight bout against Brendan Allen

Chris Curtis is fighting Brendan Allen on short notice on Saturday night.

If it sounds familiar, it’s because it happened before.

Curtis has already fought Allen on short notice, which took place in a bout in December of 2021, which Curtis won via second-round TKO. That same scenario could play out again tomorrow, as Curtis replaces Marvin Vettori for the headline bout of this week’s UFC Fight Night against Allen.

“Brendan’s really good, don’t get me wrong, but I’m always fighting myself,” said Curtis. “If I live in the moment mentally, I’ll win the fight. I love to fight. This is what I love to do. I’d rather fight than f---. It’s my favorite thing in the world. For a while, I let people take that joy away from me, but not anymore.”

Chris Curtis / Zuffa LLC

Curtis (31-10) defeated Marc-André Barriault at UFC 297 in January, a victory he desperately needed. Prior to that, he was coming off a loss and a no decision, two outcomes that left him incredibly frustrated.

“I hold onto losses for a long time,” said Curtis. “Going into 297, I finally let go. I told myself I’d make mistakes, but that I wouldn’t need to be perfect. There is no perfect fighter, so I focused on being my absolute best. That made me feel free, and I went out there and won.”

Allen (23-5) enters this bout on a six-fight win streak. Now ranked sixth in the middleweight division, his last defeat came when he lost against Curtis.

Chris Curtis / Zuffa LLC

There is a big gap in the rankings, with Curtis sitting at no. 14, so this is a victory that would help change his career trajectory.

“The ups and downs have shaped me into who I am now,” said Curtis. “I’ve grown from my tough times, and it’s helped me become who I am now. I can’t wait to show who I am on Saturday.”

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The Pick ‘Em Section

UFC Fight Night middleweight bout: Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis

• Pick: Chris Curtis

UFC Fight Night featherweight bout: Damon Jackson vs. Alexander Hernandez

• Pick: Alexander Hernandez

UFC Fight Night featherweight bout: Chepe Mariscal vs. Morgan Charriere

• Pick: Morgan Charriere

ONE Fight Night 21 welterweight submission grappling bout: Tye Ruotolo (c) vs. Izaak Michell

• Pick: Tye Ruotolo

ONE Fight Night 21 catchweight (180-pound) submission grappling bout: Kade Ruotolo vs. Francisco Lo

• Pick: Kade Ruotolo

Last week: 2-3

2024 record: 25-24