Middleweight standout Chris Curtis was left fuming after his teammate, Roman Dolidze, was on the wrong side of a series of illegal blows in his UFC Vegas 85 headliner with Nassourdine Imavov.
While the bout between Dolidze and Imavov was largely lackluster, things began to heat up in the fourth round when Imavov delivered a brutal head kick to Dolidze. The only problem was that Dolidze had his hand planted on the mat establishing him as a downed fighter.
Dolidze’s corner — which included Curtis — erupted in protest. Taking exception to their comments, Imavov nearly started a cageside brawl before referee Herb Deal pulled him back, threatening to disqualify him if the outburst continued.
NASSOURDONE IMAVOV AND CHRIS CURTIS CHIRPING EACH OTHER WHILE DOLIDZE IS RECOVERING
#UFCVegas85 pic.twitter.com/N1B2Ulmbuh
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 4, 2024
Once the bickering stopped and Dolidze had some time to recover, the fight was restarted without issue. In the end, Nassourdine Imavov went on to win the bout via majority decision, but it’s safe to say the feud between Imavov and ‘The Action Man’ is far from over.
Shortly after the contest, Curtis took a dig at Imavov on X, noting all the infractions he claims to have witnessed during the heated main event.
Imavov Wants to Settle Things with Chris Curtis Behind Closed Doors
The rivalry between Chris Curtis and the ‘Russian Sniper’ goes back to their June 2023 clash at UFC 289. The bout was called off in the second round and declared a no-contest after an accidental clash of heads.
During his appearance at the post-fight press conference on Saturday, Imavov offered Curtis an opportunity to settle things with a “real sparring session” at Xtreme Couture. “I’m going to destroy him as I did in the cage,” Imavov added.
Nassourdine Imavov explained why Chris Curtis pissed him off and challenged Curtis to "a real tough sparring session" at Xtreme Couture #UFCVegas85
— Jake Foley
(@JFoMMATalk)