Middleweight standout Chris Curtis was left fuming after his teammate, Roman Dolidze, was on the wrong side of a…
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.
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.
4 eye pokes 2 head butts and kicking a downed opponent
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
Middleweight standout Chris Curtis was left fuming after his teammate, Roman Dolidze, was on the wrong side of a…
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.
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.
4 eye pokes 2 head butts and kicking a downed opponent
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
Dagestani standout Nassourdine Imavov left The APEX with another big win on his resume, though it didn’t come without…
Dagestani standout Nassourdine Imavov left The APEX with another big win on his resume, though it didn’t come without a bit of controversy.
From the opening bell, it was clear that Imavov had the advantage on the feet. That much was evident when he nearly finished Dolidze in the opening round with a big right hand and a heap of ground-and-pound strikes.
After a back-and-forth clinch battle in the second and third rounds, things proceeded to heat up in the fourth when Imavov delivered a blatantly illegal head kick to Dolidze who had one hand on the mat, signifying that he was a downed opponent.
As Dolidze attempted to recover, Imavov began arguing with his opponent’s corner, including UFC standout Chris Curtis. That forced referee Herb Dean to step in and threaten to disqualify Imavov.
After a few moments, cooler heads prevailed and Dolidze was ready to continue. Clearly pissed off, Dolidze went for broke, securing his first takedown of the fight.
The fifth round was by far the most competitive with Dolidze doing a little submission hunting in the later moments, but in the end, Imavov survived the final five and scored his fifth win inside the Octagon.
Official Result: Nassourdine Imavov def. Roman Dolidze via majority decision (49-44, 47-47, 48-46)
Check Out Highlights From Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 85:
Chris Curtis was unable to see following an accidental clash of heads in his featured prelim bout with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289 on Saturday night. ‘Action Man’ returned to the Great White North intent on getting back into the win column after coming up short against Kelvin Gastelum in his last outing. In the […]
Chris Curtis was unable to see following an accidental clash of heads in his featured prelim bout with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289 on Saturday night.
‘Action Man’ returned to the Great White North intent on getting back into the win column after coming up short against Kelvin Gastelum in his last outing. In the early going, things were not going well for Curtis who struggled to close the distance against the much taller and lengthier Imavov. The first round saw Imavov put his wrestling skills to work, muscling Curtis down to the canvas and narrowly locking in a rear-naked choke as the first round came to a close.
Round two saw both fighters on their feet and exchanging strikes, but as Imavov moved in to clinch Curtis against the fence, their heads clashed with Curtis getting the worst of it. The referee immediately paused the action as Curtis began bleeding over his right eye. After a few minutes, Curtis could be heard repeatedly explaining that he could not see. As a result, Jason Herzog called a stop to the action and dubbed the bout a no-contest due to an accidental clash of heads.
Official Result: Chris Curtis vs. Nassourdine Imavov is ruled a no-contest following an accidental headbutt at 3:04 of Round 2.
Check Out Highlights From Chris Curtis vs. Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289 Below:
Nassourdine Imavov was winning the fight against Chris Curtis, however, due to an unintentional clash of heads it’s been cleared as a no contest #UFC#UFC289#MMApic.twitter.com/pYGBfhB12p
UFC Vegas 67 kicked off 2023 for the UFC as we journey into what will undoubtedly be another fantastic year for Mixed Martial Arts. Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov headlined the first event of the year, with the short-notice challenger making the most of his quick turn-around. In the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov more than […]
UFC Vegas 67 kicked off 2023 for the UFC as we journey into what will undoubtedly be another fantastic year for Mixed Martial Arts.
Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov headlined the first event of the year, with the short-notice challenger making the most of his quick turn-around. In the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov more than lived up to the challenge of Raoni Barcelos, stoppage the Brazilian with a highlight reel KO.
With plenty of action occurring at UFC Vegas 67, let us take a look at what should come next for those who emerged victorious at the UFC Apex.
Sean Strickland
Middleweight contender, Sean Strickland made good of his short-notice opportunity after Kelvin Gastelum had to withdraw from the bout. Strickland scored a unanimous decision victory over France’s Nassourdine Imavov in the main event.
With most of his peers already scheduled to fight, I think Strickland may have to fight down in the rankings and with that, I would like to see him take on the man whom he replaced, Kelvin Gastelum.
Dan Ige
Dan Ige put his trademark power to good use when he finished Damon Jackson in the second round of their matchup. After snapping a three-fight losing streak ‘50K’ will look to build momentum in order to earn himself a shot at the featherweight title. I think he could seriously push himself into the conversation and up the rankings if he were to face 8th-ranked contender, Giga Chikadze.
Roman Kopylov made it back-to-back victories since joining the UFC after he finished Soriano in the second round of their matchup. Every outing Koyplov seems to show an improved level of his striking ability and therefore I would like him to go against a competitor with more of a wrestling base. One man who certainly fits that bill is Australia’s Jacob Malkoun who will be looking to snap a two-fight skid on his return to the octagon.
Raquel Pennington
Raquel Pennington scored her 5th consecutive victory this past weekend when she got the nod from the judges, defeating Ketlen Viera via a split decision. Earning that number of victories should be enough for ‘Rocky’ to rematch against divisional champion, Amanda Nunes. Nunes defeated her in the pair’s first meeting via TKO at UFC 224.
Umar Nurmagomedov
A perfect 16-0 for Umar Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani landed a clean body kick and follow-up punch to become the first man to TKO Raoni Barcelos. Umar Nurmagomedov is the real deal if you didn’t believe it. The 27-year-old called for a return to action as early as March, I have no problem with fast-tracking Umar to a title contention; that is why I would like to see him take on 3rd ranked contender, Merab Dvalishvili.
Clear highlight of the night. Would be amazed if Umar does not fight for a title in the next 2 years!pic.twitter.com/b11XCon7Dq
Javid Basharat also extended his perfect unbeaten record as he handed Mateus Mendonca his first professional loss. Basharat scored his third victory this weekend at UFC Vegas 67 and therefore it seems now is the right time for him to begin taking on ranked contenders. What better place to start than by fighting the man he called for in his post-fight interview, Chris Gutierrez.
Abdul Razak Alhassan
In a battle of powerhouses, it was Abdul Razak Alhassan who emerged victorious against Claudio Ribeiro. I have no problem seeing Alhassan face as dangerous strikers as himself and that is why I would like to see him take on fellow power puncher, Brazil’s Bruno Silva.
Abdul Razak Alhassan knocks out Claudio Ribeiro!!#UFCVegas67
Mateusz Rebecki cruised to victory over a short-notice opponent, Nick Fiore this past weekend. Rebecki got the nod on the judge’s scorecards but somewhat disappointed some fans who expected him to breeze through his opponent early on in the bout.
It is clear for all to see that the Polish lightweight carries serious punching power. Therefore, I would like to see him take on fellow heavy-handed 155-er in Mike Davis.
Allan Nascimento
Allan Nascimento notched his 14th professional submission victory this past weekend in a flyweight battle of grappling wizards against, Carlos Hernandez.
Nascimento could arguably already have earned a shot against someone in the flyweight rankings but to secure that thought further, I would first like to see him take on another flyweight with whom he shared that card, Charles Johnson.
Dan Argueta
Dan Argueta controlled Nick Aguirre for nearly the entire duration of their bout as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory in the second bout of the evening. Argueta used his wrestling to control his opponent comfortably. Therefore, I would like to see how he would hold himself against a dangerous striker in ‘The Sniper’, Sean Woodson.
Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson opened the card for UFC Vegas 67 and kicked off 2023 for the promotion. Johnson made good of his opening slot when he dismissed the returning Jimmy Flick in the very first round of their matchup. A somewhat early stoppage won’t phase Johnson as he secured his first victory inside the promotion, let’s see if he could secure a second if he were to take on the aforementioned, Allan Nascimento.
Only a week after returning we shall be treated to the promotion’s first numbered event of the year as the UFC return to Brazil for UFC 283. Be sure to return next week to see whom we match up with the divisional champions and the remaining contenders competing on the card.
Do you agree or disagree with any of these choices? Let me know your thoughts on UFC Vegas 67 and share below how you would matchmake for the winners from the promotion’s first card of the year.
Sean Strickland is back in the win column after earning a unanimous decision win over Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 67 tonight. The fight took place at light heavyweight after coming together on short notice, with Imavov tipping the scales 10 pounds …
Sean Strickland is back in the win column after earning a unanimous decision win over Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 67 tonight. The fight took place at light heavyweight after coming together on short notice, with Imavov tipping the scales 10 pounds lighter than Strickland. And it seems the lack of bulk came back to…
#UFCVegas85 pic.twitter.com/N1B2Ulmbuh
(@JFoMMATalk) 
Dagestani standout Nassourdine Imavov left The APEX with another big win on his resume, though it didn’t come without…
Chris Curtis was unable to see following an accidental clash of heads in his featured prelim bout with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289 on Saturday night. ‘Action Man’ returned to the Great White North intent on getting back into the win column after coming up short against Kelvin Gastelum in his last outing. In the […]
UFC Vegas 67 kicked off 2023 for the UFC as we journey into what will undoubtedly be another fantastic year for Mixed Martial Arts. Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov headlined the first event of the year, with the short-notice challenger making the most of his quick turn-around. In the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov more than […]