5 Things You Might Not Know About Chris Curtis

Chris Curtis transformed himself from journeyman to unlikely fringe contender inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, and he did so in a little more than a year’s time.

Curtis climbed into the Top 15 at 185 pounds at the end of 2022 and enters his latest campaign surrounded by intrigue and promise. The 35-year-old owns a 4-1 record inside the Octagon, with wins over Phil Hawes, Brendan Allen, Rodolfo Vieira and Joaquin Buckley. Curtis last competed at UFC 282, where he blew away Joaquin Buckley with punches in the second round of their Dec. 10 encounter. He has secured more than half (17) of his 30 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.

As Curtis awaits word on his next assignment from UFC matchmakers, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Adversity stoked his competitive fire.

Curtis stubbed his toe in his professional debut, as he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Brandon Pinkston at a Revolution Fight League show on June 27, 2009. He rebounded from the setback with five consecutive victories, three of them first-round finishes.

2. He familiarized himself with the spotlight.

The Cincinnati native has held titles in four different organizations: CES MMA, Z Promotions, Rocktagon MMA and Premier MMA Championship.

3. Plenty of territory remains uncharted for him.

Curtis has fought only once outside of North America. He dropped a unanimous verdict to former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night 208 on July 23 in London. The other 38 bouts on the Curtis resume have taken place in either the United States, Canada or Mexico.

4. His flexibility led to opportunity.

“The Action Man” has gotten his hand raised in three different weight classes, having posted victories as a welterweight, a middleweight and a light heavyweight. Curtis has fought exclusively at 185 pounds since he joined the UFC roster in 2021.

5. He takes steps to ensure optimal preparedness.

Curtis now operates out of the revered Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas. There, he trains alongside a wide variety of accomplished martial artists, from Francis Ngannou, Brad Tavares and Julian Erosa to Manel Kape, Mads Burnell and Sadibou Sy. He has spent time at Syndicate MMA and Team Quest in the past, rounding out his game along the way.