Following his second straight UFC loss, MMA veteran Jeff Curran is afraid he is going to lose to his job.
The 14-year veteran of the sport lost a unanimous decision to Johnny Eduardo on Tuesday night at UFC on FUEL TV 3, and following the bout, he opened up to MMAFighting.com about the harsh reality every fighter in his position faces.
“I am at a huge fear for my job and career with UFC,” he said. “Knowing that they don’t like to sign older guys past 35 years old due to athletic commission complications, and me nearing 35 in September, being dropped from UFC would mean the end of my career.”
Curran said that win or lose on Tuesday night, he had planned to drop down to flyweight. Now, he is afraid he won’t get the opportunity to do that following his second straight loss.
“I am determined to get a fight at 125,” he said. “I feel the weight cut to 135 isn’t even a cut at all. I am a smaller boned guy who has had to stay big over the years and now I can finally see that a lower weight is a chance for me and my time is running short.
“There is a few guys I would like to fight at 125 to have a final shot at proving at the end of the day that I am just a little guy but capable of doing bigger things than I have been able to display. Yasuhiro Urushitani, John Lineker, or even a rematch with KID Yamamoto at 125 would be a perfect fit, if either one of them coming off losses has the (expletive) to test themselves against me these days. Japan, Brazil, USA … doesn’t matter to me. I pray UFC can recognize this and call my management. UFC will at least end up with a war once again. Nothing to lose. I hope the fans get behind me here. I planned on dropping down after a win over Eduardo. I lost the fight but here I am.”
Tuesday’s loss dropped Curran’s record to 33-15-1. His career started in Jan. 1998, and since then he has competed in virtually every major promotion: UFC, WEC, PRIDE, IFL, Strikeforce, and everything in between. His last six losses. dating back to 2008, have come via either split or unanimous decision.
“I gave my life to the sport,” he said, “and feel I have had a curse hanging over me and losing decisions has become the norm on beating me. I know that 125 is stiff competition, but nobody has a reach advantage, and that’s one of my worst body types to fight: tall and lanky.”
The UFC has yet to inform Curran what they’ll do with him next.