Chris Curtis Earns Decision Over Rodolfo Vieira
UFC returns to the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Headlined by the 155-pound clash between top lightweight prospects Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot.
Before that five-round clash of styles gets underway, grizzled vet Neil Magny squares off against fast-rising, 170-pound prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov in UFC Vegas 57’s co-main event.
Chris Curtis vs. Rodolfo Vieira
In this highlighted play-by-play we will look at the middleweight match-up between Chris Curtis and Rodolfo Vieira.
Curtis (28-8) heads into this fight of the back of two upsets over Phil Hawes and Brendan Allen. Curtis will look to carry the momentum against decorated BJJ practitioner Vieira (8-1). Vieira, was on the bad side of one of the biggest upsets in MMA when Anthony Hernandez pulled off a submission win over the specialist.
Here’s how the fight played out round by round:
ROUND 1:
Mark Smith is the referee in charge. 1st fight on the main card, here we go. Vieira looks for a takedown early but Curtis scrambles and ends up on top. Vieira doesn’t settle for the position and works his way back up and pushing Curtis against the cage. A low blow that buckles Curtis, that was flush. Time in after just under a minute away from action. Vieira with a takedown and Curtis saw it from a mile away. Another low blow from Vieira. Both fighters trading punches at the end of the round.
MyMMANews.com scores it: 10-9 to Rodolfo Vieira
ROUND 2:
Round two, early on Vieira lands some solid calf kicks. Vieira looks for a takedown on the cage but it was unsuccessful, back to the centre we go. And once again Curtis complains about a low blow, but this time Ref Mark Smith waves off the complaint and tells him to fight on. Vieira is doing a much better job landing with his hands in this round. And right on cue Curtis starts to land.
MyMMANews.com scores it: 10-9 to Chris Curtis, 19-19
ROUND 3:
Curtis clearly the fresher fighter. Curtis has been on-point with takedown defence in this fight, Vieira has not landed one out of 14 attempts. Vieira starting to put his combinations together, another failed takedown attempt. Curtis ripping to the body with a minute to go. What a fight at middleweight to kick off the main card, should go Chris Curtis’ way.
MyMMANews.com scores it: 10-9 to Chris Curtis, 29-28
Official Result: Chris Curtis def. Rodolfo Vieira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Make that 8 straight wins for @Actionman513 👏 #UFCVegas57 pic.twitter.com/HlukngAIt0
— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2022
