Chris Curtis vs Anthony Hernandez added to UFC Fight Night 227
Chris Curtis (30-10, 1 NC) has been quite active thus far into his UFC tenure, already having participated in seven contests since debuting less than two years ago in November of 2021.
Curtis, following his bout with Nassourdine Imavov earlier this month in June, already has his next bout lined up, as he’s slated to face Anthony Hernandez (11-2, 1 NC) at UFC Fight Night 227.
UFC Fight Night 227 is to go down on September 16, 2023, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Curtis finally made his way over to the big show with a record of 26-8 while he was riding a five-fight win streak with four knockouts.
Prior to that, he’d lost three-straight fights to PFL champions Magomed Magomedkerimov and Ray Cooper III, and prior to that, he’d won eight-straight. More or less, it was about time the promotion noticed him.
Curtis went on to win his first three octagon bouts, improving that win streak to eight-straight as well with wins over the likes of Phil Hawes (KO), Brendan Allen (TKO), Rodolfo Vieira (UD). He was then defeated by Jack Hermansson (UD), before beating Joaquin Buckley (KO) last December.
Since then, however, Curtis lost to Kelvin Gastelum (UD) in a Fight of the Night performance he looked good in, and then battled to a no contest (clash of heads) with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289.
Anthony Hernandez on the other hand made his Contender Series debut with a record of 6-0, where he KO’d Jordan Wright in a mere 40 seconds to get his shot at a UFC contract. The win was overturned due to him testing positive for marijuana, but he got his entry into the UFC no less.
Hernandez would lose to Markus Perez (anaconda choke) in his promotional debut, before defeating Jun-Yong Park (anaconda choke). He’d then lose to Kevin Holland (TKO), before going on a four-fight win streak showing him victorious over the likes of Rodolfo Vieira (guillotine choke), Josh Fremd (UD), Marc-Andre Barriault (arm-triangle choke), and Edmen Shahbazyan (TKO).
A couple interesting facts going into this middleweight bout:
- Both men were champions prior to joining the UFC – Hernandez is a former LFA middleweight champion, Curtis is a former CES welterweight, PMMAC welterweight, and Z Promotions middleweight champion
- Both men boast wins over no. 13 ranked Brendan Allen – Hernandez won the LFA title against him, Curtis knocked him out in his sophomore appearance with the UFC
- Both men boast wins over Rodolfo Vieira – Hernandez shockingly submitted the eight-time World BJJ champion to claim the 2021 Submission of the Year award, Curtis out-boxed him for a unanimous decision win
- Hernandez went 9-1 as an amateur, Curtis went 2-0 in professional boxing
- Hernandez has gone 5-2 through seven UFC bouts, Curtis has gone 4-2, 1 NC through seven UFC bouts
Who do you see coming out on top in this epic middleweight showcase going down at UFC FN 227?
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