This weekend (Sat., Jan. 20, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight sluggers Chris Curtis and Marc-Andre Barriault will square off at UFC 297 inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Times have been tough for Curtis as of late. His much-delayed UFC career began with a 3-0 run up into the rankings, but since then, he’s won just one bout in his last four. Admittedly, there’s a “No Contest” in there and the defeats came to stiff competition, but the bottom line remains that “Action Man” could really use a win here.
Barriault, conversely, has been in good form recently. The Canadian “Power Bar” has won three of his last four, demonstrating an improved ability to mix together his offensive striking, general physicality, and quality conditioning. He’s got an opportunity to break into the rankings here, and at 33 years of age, the time is now.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
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Photo by Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Chris Curtis
Record: 30-10 (1)
Key Wins: Brendan Allen (UFC Vegas 54), Joaquin Buckley (UFC 282), Rodolfo Vieira (UFC Vegas 57), Phil Hawes (UFC 268)
Key Losses: Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 287), Jack Hermansson (UFC London), Ray Cooper III (PFL 7 2019)
Keys to Victory: Chris Curtis is one of the rare MMA fighters who is truly comfortable in the pocket. He advances into close quarters with his guard high, ready to rip the body in combination or time a knockout punch upstairs when his opponent fires back at him.
He’s stopped 17 foes via strikes.
Likely, Barriault will give Curtis the fight he wants. Both men have good work rates, durability, and power, making them dangerous in exchanges. The difference is that Curtis has the sharper eye and tighter defense, as well as a habit of working the body. In a brawl, it’s likely going to be “Action Man” landing the cleaner connections.
He just has to pressure and force the issue. Curtis has a longstanding issue of hanging back and showing off his defense for too long, which sounds like a potential issue while fighting in his opponent’s home country.
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Photo by Jordan Jones/Getty Images
Marc-Andre Barriault
Record: 16-6
Key Wins: Eryk Anders (UFC 289), Julian Marquez (UFC 285), Dalcha Lungiambula (UFC Vegas 36), Jordan Wright (UFC Vegas 52)
Key Losses: Anthony Hernandez (UFC Vegas 60), Chidi Njokuani (UFC Vegas 45), Krzysztof Jotko (UFC 240)
Keys to Victory: Barriault is a bruiser. A rough-and-tumble fighter with solid conditioning, Barriault does his best work when able to press his opponents and exhaust them.
Historically, Curtis struggles when unable to score close distance exchanges. Jack Hermansson severely frustrated him by circling endlessly, and even last time out, Nassourdine Imavov was pulling ahead by maintaining an active jab and shooting when Curtis advanced.
None of this is Barriault’s default strategy, but an adjustment feels necessary for success here. He’s not likely to outbox Curtis if that’s primarily where the fight takes place, but what if Barriault is the one picking and choose to exchange? The Canadian can kick well and fight out of the clinch nastily. If he seeks to limit pocket exchanges by moving, kicking, and clinching, then Barriault may be able to stymie Curtis and stay ahead on the scorecards.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, it’s a fun fight.
Curtis’ “Action Man” moniker is appropriate. At this point, it’s apparent that Curtis is unlikely to go on a sudden title run. However, he’s typically a lot of fun to watch, and he’s good enough to beat some well-known opposition. The risk here is that he falls from the rankings entirely with a defeat, so Curtis is fighting to stay put at No. 13.
Conversely, Barriault has a chance to steal his slot. Again, it feels unlikely that Barriault develops into a contender this deep into his professional career, but victory would cap off the best three-fight run of his career. It keeps him moving in the right direction, and perhaps “Power Bar” can climber higher than most expect.
At UFC 297, Chris Curtis and Marc-Andre Barriault will go to war. Which man earns the victory?