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UFC Fight Night: Allen v Curtis 2 — Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Last night (Sat., April 6, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 90. One more week is all that stands between us and UFC 300, but alas, this card was never going to help the time pass more quickly. Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis 2? It’s the absolute bare minimum that UFC can put together and call a fight card, even in 2024.

All the same, let’s take a look back over at UFC Vegas 90’s best performances and techniques:

Allen Outlasts Action Man

Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis was a very fun fight.

I’m always impressed by Allen’s offensive kickboxing. He puts together combinations really well, utilizes all of his limbs to good effect, and is dangerous moving forward or on his back foot. Against Curtis, that was especially true. He ripped Curtis with a ton of body kicks at distance, tagged him with sharp straight punches in the pocket, and effectively hammered Curtis with knees and elbows when the two clinched up.

I often find myself equally impressed by Curtis’ ability to defend and roll with shots in tiny gloves. He hides behind his shoulder and tricep so well, and even when caught, he usually turns with the blow. He stands in the pocket in front of scary strikers with unusual comfort and composure, and then he usually finds his own punches between their strikes.

That combination is a recipe for a great fight. Allen threw the kitchen sink at Curtis, who deflected a ton of that offense and fired right back. Allen doesn’t have Curtis’ defensive savvy, so when “Action Man” landed, it was a lot more noticeable. Ultimately, the fight was extremely competitive, but it felt like the wrestling of Allen was just enough to shift the scales in his favor.

I’m not opposed to a rubber match down the line.

Bahamondes Bounces Back!

Ignacio Bahamondes came up short last time out, getting picked apart by Ludovit Klein in a loss that snapped his three-fight win streak. The 26-year-old finisher had been building some real momentum, so it was a disappointing defeat for “La Jaula.”

He bounced back in stellar fashion last night at Christos Giagos’ expense! From the first bell, Giagos was trying to burst forward with combinations to overcome his much taller foe’s range advantage. Bahamondes took a couple punches, but he mostly saw those flurries coming and evaded or countered.

When Giagos couldn’t keep sprinting forward, Bahamondes took him apart at range with kicks. The finish started with a slick spinning back kick to the gut that backed off Giagos, then the Chilean athlete picked his shot beautifully with a snappy high kick straight to the chin.

Giagos hit the floor, and Bahamondes is back in the win column.

Peek Apex Fighting

I often bemoan the lowering level of the average UFC fighter and the declining quality in the average UFC fight card. Anyone who has paid attention to the sport for more than a few years can recognize these trends. At the same time, bad news often comes with a silver lining, and I’d like to present an entertaining one: Trevor Peek.

Trevor Peek is not particularly good at any technical aspect of fighting. He was certainly worse than his opponent, Charlie Campbell, in every area of the game. Campbell was the better kickboxer, wrestler, and grappler for all of 15 minutes. Yet, the fight was incredibly fun, and the second round was seriously competitive!

Peek may not have punching form, but he has athleticism and heart in spades. He was able to really test Campbell and force him into deep waters, surging forward midway through the second and seemingly shifting the momentum into his corner. Campbell dug deep and rallied in the third, ending the fun fight in dominant fashion.

A decade ago, Trevor Peek probably doesn’t get a UFC opportunity, and we miss out on some fun fights.

Additional Thoughts

Jean Matsumoto defeats Dan Argueta via second-round guillotine (HIGHLIGHTS): 24-year-old Matsumoto really impressed in his UFC debut. The undefeated (15-0) Brazilian was put on the defensive early by Argueta, who really put it all together beautifully by attacking with strikes, submissions, and constant takedown attempts. The pace was absolutely furious, and both men were effectively transitioning between all the areas of MMA. As both (understandably) slowed from the chaos, however, Matsumoto’s technical striking edge made itself known. He began picking off Argueta on the way in, timing him with hard counter shots. Those blows only increased Argueta’s desire for the takedown, which ran him directly into a choke.
Cesar Almeida defeats Dylan Budka via second-round knockout (HIGHLIGHTS): Almeida came into his UFC debut with a mere 4-0 professional MMA record and extensive kickboxing background. As it turns out, however, it was his takedown defense that finished the fight! Budka exhausted himself chain wrestling endlessly, whereas Almeida did good work in scrambling back to his feet and landing chipping shots from close quarters. Those strikes and Budka’s fatigue added up by the second, allowing Almeida to unleash a barrage that forced Budka to collapse.
Nora Cornolle defeats Melissa Mullins via second-round knockout: A pretty major upset went down in the very first fight of the night! Cornolle struggled with her opponent’s grappling in the first, but she did a good job of continually making her work and limiting Mullins’ ability to control even when the takedown was complete. Between the two, Cornolle was much more active with strikes in the clinch, which definitely fatigued Mullins and made the takedowns more difficult to come by. In the second, a knee to the gut backed Mullins off and opened up a pathway for TWO high kicks in a row! It was a unique and exciting finish from the French athlete, who could develop into a ranked Bantamweight if she can figure out her weight cut.

For complete UFC Vegas 90: “Allen vs. Curtis 2” results and play-by-play, click HERE!