35-fight MMA vet reveals he only had $10 in the bank ahead of UFC 268

Chris Curtis was in dire financial straits as he entered his debut at UFC 268 last weekend.

At this point, we’ve all grown familiar with the financial struggles that many UFC fighters face. It’s affected a large chunk of the roster, from those at the bottom of the totem pole to reigning undisputed champions.

So this story about 35-fight MMA veteran and UFC newcomer Chris Curtis is nothing new, but it likely strikes a chord, nonetheless. In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, the 34-year-old middleweight revealed the meager amount he had on his bank account entering his debut at UFC 268.

“Going into that UFC fight… The only reason I survived those three weeks was because Mick Maynard took care of me for weighing in. And that saved me because I had nothing.

“And after that, I was down to, like, $10 in my bank account. I had to catch up on bills and stuff, and keep everything afloat,” Curtis told Ariel Helwani.

Curtis says if it wasn’t for the per diem he received from the UFC, he would still be running low on funds.

“So, yeah, you go into a UFC fight with $10 in your bank account is rough. It’s very rough. I have a little bit more because of the per diem boosting me up. But minus the per diem, there’s $10.

“There’s probably $250, $300 (left) because they gave you a decent amount of per diem. We didn’t use a ton of it because we all eat like hobos, anyway. But before receiving that per diem, I literally had $10 in my account.”

Curtis, a veteran of 35 fights, was one of the big winners of the night when he knocked out Phil Hawes in round one. The victory improves his record to 27-8 as he compiles a six-fight win streak.