A middleweight barnburner between veteran Chris Curtis and striker Roman Kopylov ended in controversy earlier tonight (Sat., Jan. 11, 2025) at UFC Vegas 101 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the referee called a stop to the fight with one second left in the third and final round.
Both Curtis and Kopylov have proven to be two of the more active strikers at 185 pounds so fight fans knew this main card meeting was going to be an all-out war from the opening bell. That’s exactly how this played out as Curtis and Kopylov pushed forward every second of the fight and exchanges heavy jabs, uppercuts, leg kicks, and power shots.
The fight seemed to be tied up entering the third round as both middleweights were searching for a way to victory. The third round was a fairly even fight on the feet, but Kopylov did change levels at one point and secured a timely takedown. Curtis’ fans were holding out hope that maybe he somehow captured both the first and second rounds to win a decision on the scorecards, but they were jumping the gun.
That’s because Kopylov launched a nasty head kick in the final seconds of the fight that partially connected. Curtis, who is known for his durability, fell to the canvas. He looked to be in trouble, but Kopylov just walked off. However, the referee still felt that Curtis was hurt too badly to last the last second of the round.
Check out the final moments in the above video player and let us know if you thought this finish was a controversial one!
For complete UFC Vegas 101 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.