Rodolfo Vieira had clearly made some improvements since his last fight, but Chris Curtis ended up walking away with a unanimous decision in a highly anticipated middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 57. On paper the fight appeared to be a traditional striker vs. grappler matchup, but Vieira showed off an improved striking game that allowed…
Rodolfo Vieira had clearly made some improvements since his last fight, but Chris Curtis ended up walking away with a unanimous decision in a highly anticipated middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 57.
On paper the fight appeared to be a traditional striker vs. grappler matchup, but Vieira showed off an improved striking game that allowed him to win the first round. The Brazilian’s cardio also appeared to hold up better than his previous UFC bouts, but ultimately Curtis’s body work and airtight takedown defense allowed “The Action Man” to win rounds 2 and 3.
This fight kicked off the main card of UFC Vegas 57 and was one of the event’s most anticipated matchups. Most people didn’t expect it to go the distance, but plenty of fighters enjoyed the the action.
Chris Curtis takedown defense is onnnnnn point #UFCVegas57
Although the decision ended his finishing streak, this win puts Chris Curtis at 3-0 to start his UFC career and was his eighth-straight win dating back to 2020.
Rodolfo Vieira is thankful to be fighting at UFC Vegas 57 after fearing his career might be over earlier this year. The Brazilian submission specialist is scheduled to make his first appearance of 2022 against Chris Curtis, but he was originally supposed to fight Wellington Turman back in January. “The Black Belt Hunter” had to…
Rodolfo Vieira is thankful to be fighting at UFC Vegas 57 after fearing his career might be over earlier this year.
The Brazilian submission specialist is scheduled to make his first appearance of 2022 against Chris Curtis, but he was originally supposed to fight Wellington Turman back in January.
“The Black Belt Hunter” had to withdraw from that bout during fight week, and at the UFC Vegas 57 media day he discussed the circumstances around the cancellation.
“Actually, I had a problem on my brain,” Vieira said. “A malformation — I don’t know if that’s the exact word. But it’s something that I was born with. So, I didn’t know if it was serious or if it was something like normal.
“But, after doing the [scan] the doctor said that I was going to be able to keep fighting and that made me very happy. Because I was really afraid to have to retire…Actually, I was sure that I would have to stop. I was waiting for the worst. And thank God that didn’t happen and I’m here today. I’m gonna fight next Saturday.”
All of Vieira’s MMA victories have come via submission. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The 32-year-old made his name as one of the top grapplers in the world before starting his MMA career in 2017. A 5-0 record was enough for the UFC to come calling, and the Brazilian quickly improved to 7-0 with two-straight wins via arm triangle choke.
Vieira suffered his first MMA loss to Anthony Hernandez before getting back on track against Dustin Stoltzfus, and the Brazilian is excited to resume his career following his previous health scare.
“I’m feeling the same way that I was feeling after all those issues. The good part was that these issues made me realize how much I wanted to keep doing MMA. Even with all the fear and [anxiety].”
“The Black Belt Hunter” is set to kick off the main card of UFC Vegas 57 against Chris Curtis, who will be looking for a third-straight win to start his UFC career.
What’s your reaction to Vieira explaining the brain issue that nearly sent him into early retirement?
Chris Curtis is set to take on Rodolfo Vieira on this weekend’s UFC On ESPN 38 card, where he predicts to finish the grappling superstar, Vieira, in the second round. In an exclusive interview with James Lynch for LowKick MMA, Chris Curtis gave his official breakdown of the fight, where he believes his wrestling will be […]
Chris Curtis is set to take on Rodolfo Vieira on this weekend’s UFC On ESPN 38 card, where he predicts to finish the grappling superstar, Vieira, in the second round.
In an exclusive interview with James Lynch for LowKick MMA, Chris Curtis gave his official breakdown of the fight, where he believes his wrestling will be the X-factor, after which, ‘The Action Man’ aims to extend his UFC win streak to three with three finishes.
“I think he’s going to come out and we’re gonna touch gloves and he’s going to start shooting a lot. He’s going to want to press me into the cage, there do some damage but I think he’s going to be really surprised with the footwork and the wrestling defense. I think my wrestling beats his wrestling and I think I TKO him in two rounds.”
Chris Curtis Believes He Needs To “Knock Him [Vieira] Out Before He Strangles Me Unconscious”
Although the World Champion grappler, Rodolfo Vieira, was recently submitted for the first time in his MMA career by Anthony Hernandez, Curtis doesn’t see that happening in his bout.
“Probably not going to submit Rodolfo Vieria,” Curtis said, laughing. “I very seriously doubt I’m going to submit Rodolfo Vieira. It’s a classic style fight, striker versus grappler. I think it’s going to come down to who has the better wrestling. Better wrestling and better conditioning. And I think I have the better wrestling and better conditioning, so, we’ll see. I just need to knock him out before he strangles me unconscious, so we’re both racing against the clock to see who gets there first.”
Fight experience is another factor that Chris Curtis believes favors him. He points out the fact that he has a total of 36 fights while Vieria has only 9, making him more comfortable with fighting, and the violence it brings, than Vieria.
“He’s [Vieira] got a billion and one grappling matches but fighting is different. Fighting is a whole different animal and I’m very comfortable with fights, very comfortable with violence. I don’t think he’s quite as comfortable in a fight setting yet, so I think it’ll be a huge thing. People say ‘oh he’s so much bigger, you’re undersized’ and I’m like yeah I’m going to be smaller, but I’ve made that walk so many times exactly four times more than he has. I know that I am confident. I know this is what I do and I love fighting, so I think that’s going to play a huge part.”
For his fight against the grappling expert, Chris Curtis got some good training in with Albert Duraev, who recently competed against Joaquin Buckley on UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs Emmett. Curtis believes that Duraev’s wrestling-heavy attack and overall physicality have helped him prepare for the upcoming fight against Vieira.
“Albert Duraev has been a really really really good training partner for me for this. Albert Duraev is the most oppressive top grappler I’ve ever dealt with my entire life. It’s like if Albert gets on top of you, it’s just miserable. It’s not fun. So I’ve had weeks of like getting beat up by Albert and deal dealing with that.”
UFC On ESPN 38 takes place on June 25, headlined by Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot, but it will be Chris Curtis who’ll aim to get his 2nd performance of the night bonus with another TKO finish.
UFC 270 is now one sleep away, and to get you even more hyped for the event than you already are, we’ve got some staff predictions locked and loaded for ya! UFC 270 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view, with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET, the ESPN2 preliminary card kicking off […]
UFC 270 is now one sleep away, and to get you even more hyped for the event than you already are, we’ve got some staff predictions locked and loaded for ya!
UFC 270 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view, with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET, the ESPN2 preliminary card kicking off at 8:00 PM, and the early preliminary card starting at 6:00 PM.
The main event will see the heavyweights collide in a title unification bout between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. Then, in the co-main event, we will see Brandon Moreno taking on Deiveson Figueiredo in an exciting conclusion to their flyweight trilogy.
Also on the main card will be decorated submission artist Rodolfo Viera taking on Wellington Turman, veteran Cody Stamann facing touted prospect Said Nurmagomedov, and the always unpredictable Michel Pereira facing the debuting Andre Fialho.
UFC 270 Staff Predictions
MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 270 updates. Andrew Ravens, Ed Carbajal, and I have provided predictions for the main card. Here is the full main card lineup for tomorrow night:
UFC Heavyweight ChampionshipBout:Francis Ngannou (c) vs. Ciryl Gane (ic)
UFC Flyweight Championship Bout: Brandon Moreno (c) vs. DeivesonFigueiredo
Welterweight: Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho
Bantamweight: Cody Stamann vs. Said Nurmagomedov
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Wellington Turman
Rodolfo Vieira vs. Weillington Turman
Rodolfo Vieira, Wellington Turman
Clyde Aidoo: After gassing out the likes of which UFC fans have rarely seen in his loss to Anthony Hernandez at UFC 258, Rodolfo Vieira was able to show that he’s not worth writing off yet and his hype train still has some steam in the engine. In fact, it had more than enough to earn him Performance of the Night in his last outing, featuring a submission victory over Dustin Stoltzfus. It’ll take a while for me to build back the confidence I had in picking Vieira heading into 2021, but I think that he’s still more dangerous and lethal than Turman, who has lost two of his last three. (Prediction: Rodolfo Vieira)
Andrew Ravens: While this is a late addition to the main card, it should be a really fun fight. Turman is someone the hardcore fans know, and while he has struggled as of late, things won’t get easier against Vieira, who is a real prospect with an 8-1 record. Vieira has been submitting nearly everyone, and I see that happening here for the win. (Prediction: Rodolfo Vieira)
Ed Carbajal: Viera is a heavy favorite here and considering his 8-1 record, it’s easy to see why. Seven of his eight wins came by way of submission, with his last win earning a Performance of the Night bonus for his third-round rear-naked choke win over Dustin Stoltzfus. Still, Turman brings more experience and while he has some losses on his record, he’s never lost by submission, the bread and butter of Vieira. I think Turman can pull off a win here. (Prediction: Wellington Turman)
Consensus: 2-1 Vieira
Cody Stamann vs. Said Nurmagomedov
Cody Stamann, Said Nurmagomedov
Clyde Aidoo: Cody Stamann presents the kind of style that will reveal his opponent’s ability to problem-solve and show his work. You can never expect an easy night at the office with Stamann’s grinding fight style standing in your way. Nurmagomedov has finished two of his last three fights, but I’m not convinced he’s a lethal enough finisher to put Stamann away, something only Alamain Sterling has done in the UFC.
However, with Stamann losing two straight and Nurmagomedov being a bit hungrier, more versatile on the feet, and having good enough takedown defense to likely win the majority of the rounds, I’m going to give the very slight swing in his direction. (Prediction: Said Nurmagomedov)
Andrew Ravens: Nurmagomedov is the real deal despite a bump in the road against Raoni Barcelos and with Stamann losing back-to-back fights, I think this is a perfect time for Nurmagomedov to make a statement against the always game Stamann. Nurmagomedov walks away with the decision win. (Prediction: Said Nurmagomedov)
Ed Carbajal: Coming off two losses, Stamann has a lot of motivation to start the main card off with a win. However, with someone like Nurmagomedov in his path, that will be easier said than done. Most of Stamann’s wins come by way of decision, and Nurmagomedov’s only two losses are by decision, but that does not mean it can be done easily. That last name coming from Dagestan in MMA usually makes it hard to pick against. (Prediction: Said Nurmagomedov)
Consensus: 3-0 Nurmagomedov
Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho
Michel Pereira, Andre Fialho
Clyde Aidoo: Andre Fialho steps in on short notice in a main card bout on a big PPV to kick off the year. You have to wonder if the UFC jitters will get a hold of Fialho, especially when facing a showman like Pereira, who has gained valuable experience inside the Octagon.
Stylistically, I believe Pereira presents more ways to win this fight. Fialho is a knockout artist, but he can be very flat-footed and could let Pereira dictate the pace and flow of the fight. Plus, Pereira has the ability to take the fight to the mat and win that way also if he wants to fight more conservatively here. (Prediction: Michel Pereira)
Andrew Ravens: What a way to make your promotional debut for Fialho, who has won his last four fights. On the flip side, Pereira has won his last three. I’ll side with Pereira here with his experience getting it done by decision. (Prediction: Michel Pereira)
Ed Carbajal: I expect a knockout here and I expect a possible Fight of the Night candidate as well. Both men are on win streaks and have on their résumés a hefty number of knockouts on their win records. This is Fialho’s UFC debut and enough fighters have talked about “UFC jitters” to make me think this is a big ask for the first fight in the UFC in the first pay-per-view of the year. (Prediction: Michel Pereira)
Consensus: 3-0 Pereira
Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Deiveson Figueiredo & Brandon Moreno
Clyde Aidoo: It’s common for the sports world to have a short memory and only base predictions on the most recent outcome in terms of a rematch or trilogy. While it’s true that Moreno has continued to improve and has a tremendous career trajectory at the moment, let’s not forget that Figueiredo was one foul and point deduction away from holding a victory over him as well.
This time around, I believe Figueiredo will come with a different, more balanced style after putting in time over at Fight Ready with Henry Cejudo. Provided the weight cut goes better this time and we get a healthy and fit God of War, I believe he’ll mix in the right amount of chaos with the cerebral to outgun Moreno this time out. (Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo)
Andrew Ravens: This is a must-win situation for Figueiredo, as he already lost to Moreno and with them already going to a draw, it would be hard to make the case as to why he should get another title shot as long as Moreno is champion. With that focus and Figueiredo correcting his mistakes in their last fight, I see that adding up to just enough for him to pull off the win. Figueiredo gets it done by split decision. (Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo)
Ed Carbajal: Nobody asked for this fight, but I’m 100% here for it. The first one was a draw; the second a finish that had Moreno crowned champion via submission. This one will take the cake, but I find it hard to pick against Moreno. As good as Figueiredo was as a champ, preparedness always seemed to be an issue for him in the past, and it never seemed like something he resolved in the last fight. I think Moreno puts a stamp on the flyweight title this time around (Prediction: Brandon Moreno)
Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane
Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane
Clyde Aidoo: Stylistically and also in terms of unpredictability, this has my vote for the best heavyweight fight ever. I also have a hunch that the fight can go more ways than people may think. We’ve never seen Ngannou in a drawn-out back-and-forth fight in the UFC. This could be the first time for that. Conventional wisdom says that if that were to happen, Gane would be the easy pick. After all, he moves around with cat feet and has a fight IQ far beyond his MMA years, even superior to most veterans of the game. Additionally, he is a superb technical striker with a cardio that doesn’t quit.
Even still, what we learned from Ngannou in his dominant UFC 260 win over Stipe Miocic is that he doesn’t need just one shot. He can win a round against a great striker and competitor with intelligent shot selection and multiple striking attacks. And he also proved that he has continued to evolve and work on his overall game, as he demonstrated with his heavily improved takedown defense and grappling.
So for me, there are two reasons to side with Ngannou. First, we still don’t know exactly what he’s capable of and how much he’s improved since losing to Miocic in 2018. Therefore, he may indeed be capable of defeating Gane in a prolonged battle. And even if that’s completely off, there’s still the proven truth that all he needs is one shot to close the show. And if this fight is won or lost on the feet, which I highly expect it to be, then that one shot is all he needs over the tactician. (Prediction: Francis Ngannou)
Andrew Ravens: Gane seems like the right opponent to beat Francis if he can avoid being knocked out. Francis showed off his takedown defense improvement in his last fight with Stipe, and Gane is a much better wrestler than Ngannou. But I just don’t see Gane beating Francis. I think Francis has continued to improve his weaknesses, which he will have the world talking about come Saturday night. I have Francis knocking out Gane in the third round. (Prediction: Francis Ngannou)
Ed Carbajal: There’s a lot to look at in this match-up, especially since the two men have a history of training with one another. Ngannou is a power puncher with the speed to make him just as dangerous, and Gane is a very technical striker that went undefeated in Muay Thai. Both men like to hit, so that might be the contest we see, or it could make one of these heavy hitters test their grappling against each other. That’s where I think Gane has the edge. He may also have the technical edge in striking, but Ngannou has more than a puncher’s chance in any fight. It’s a coin toss, but I think Gane can win this. (Prediction: Ciryl Gane)
Consensus: 3-1 Ngannou
That’ll do it for our UFC 270 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the UFC 270 undercard below.
BJJ black belt Rodolfo Vieira has spoken out for the first time since he was submitted by Anthony Hernandez in a shocking upset at UFC 258. Vieira started well in the fight he was a big favoruite to win. The Brazilian quickly got his opponent to the mat and appeared on his way to yet […]
BJJ black belt Rodolfo Vieira has spoken out for the first time since he was submitted by Anthony Hernandez in a shocking upset at UFC 258.
Vieira started well in the fight he was a big favoruite to win. The Brazilian quickly got his opponent to the mat and appeared on his way to yet another quick submission win.
The tables turned as round one progressed. Hernandez was able to work his way back up and begin putting strikes together. Viera looked physically exhausted by the end of the opening round.
In round two it was more of the same. Hernandez was beating up an exhausted fighter who eventually fell to his first-ever professional MMA loss via submission (guillotine choke). Prior to the fight bookmakers had Hernandez priced at 30/1 to finish Vieira by submission.
“Guys yesterday was the worst day of my life,” he wrote. “It was the worst performance of my life, it was my son’s first time watching me, despite being a baby and not understanding anything. That, on the one hand, was even good to not see the beating that his father took and still be finished !! LOL. It was also the first time I fight after my Grandmother passed away, she who was one of my biggest fans and watched all my fights, I really wanted to be victorious and dedicate it to them!”
“Unfortunately, not everything goes as we want,” he continued. “I’m still not understanding why I got so tired in the first round, I had some mistakes that I already know which ones, that will certainly be fixed, but really getting tired of the way I got tired I still haven’t I managed to understand! I had a great camp, I had the best weight cut to date, everything was fine … But I have to congratulate Anthony on his big win and I really hope he won the 50 thousand dollars of performance of the night.”
“I know I need to improve a lot, in everything, I never hid this and every day I train in search of this evolution!” he continued. “Anyway, it’s in the past. I just want to thank you all for the messages of encouragement and support that keep sending me, you really are unbelievable! I am very grateful to God, and I feel super blessed to have the family I have, the friends and of course the fans who even without knowing me personally can make me feel so strong, so important and so dear to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you.” (Transcribed and translated by MMA Mania)
If you placed a 30/1 shot bet on Anthony ‘Flurry’ Hernandez stopping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, Rodolfo Vieira via submission — cash your tickets. In an incredible performance from the Californian — he rallied from a couple of opening minute submission attempts from the grappling ace to submit Vieira in the second with a shocking guillotine. […]
If you placed a 30/1 shot bet on Anthony ‘Flurry’ Hernandez stopping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, Rodolfo Vieira via submission — cash your tickets. In an incredible performance from the Californian — he rallied from a couple of opening minute submission attempts from the grappling ace to submit Vieira in the second with a shocking guillotine.
Vieira, a twelve-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a black belt under Julio Cesar Pereira attempted to lock up both arm-triangles and armbars in the opening minute or two of the first frame, with Hernandez conceivably believed to be under the cosh severely.
Completely fatigued at the culmination of the opening round after his failed submission attempts and some sharp striking on the feet from Hernandez, Vieira, a seven-time Abu Dhabi World Cup gold medalist failed to regain a head of steam in the second, with Hernandez sprawling off the back of a frail takedown attempt — before locking up a taut guillotine, eventually forcing the tap. Career-highlight victory for the 27-year-old.
Below, check out the highlights from Hernandez’s submission win over Vieira.
Anthony Hernandez put it on Rodolfo Viera securing the second-round submission and the commentary crew couldn't contain themselves! #UFC258pic.twitter.com/LsREPE9k72
#UFCVegas57 pic.twitter.com/HlukngAIt0
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Chris Curtis is set to take on Rodolfo Vieira on this weekend’s UFC On ESPN 38 card, where he predicts to finish the grappling superstar, Vieira, in the second round. In an exclusive interview with James Lynch for LowKick MMA, Chris Curtis gave his official breakdown of the fight, where he believes his wrestling will be […]
BJJ black belt Rodolfo Vieira has spoken out for the first time since he was submitted by Anthony Hernandez in a shocking upset at UFC 258. Vieira started well in the fight he was a big favoruite to win. The Brazilian quickly got his opponent to the mat and appeared on his way to yet […]
If you placed a 30/1 shot bet on Anthony ‘Flurry’ Hernandez stopping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, Rodolfo Vieira via submission — cash your tickets. In an incredible performance from the Californian — he rallied from a couple of opening minute submission attempts from the grappling ace to submit Vieira in the second with a shocking guillotine. […]
