One of the veteran minds of MMA defended Chris Curtis’s stance on the controversial end to his fight at UFC Vegas 101.
UFC middleweight Chris Curtis’s first Octagon appearance of 2025 didn’t play out the way he expected against the talented Roman Kopylov on Saturday night.
Curtis, a UFC fan favorite who is constantly involved in high-octane fights, was in another back-and-forth battle against Kopylov at UFC Vegas 101. After getting off to a fast start in the opening round, Curtis struggled to fend off Kopylov as the fight went on, especially as Kopylov found a rhythm with his striking.
In the closing seconds of the fight, Kopylov battered Curtis badly on the feet and eventually dropped him with a left high kick. But as referee Mark Smith hesitated on whether or not to wave off the fight, Curtis was working his way back to his feet and kept his vision firmly on Kopylov.
After the initial hesitation, Smith waved off the fight, which Curtis immediately protested. Many top pundits, including Paul Felder and Din Thomas, were split on whether or not the stoppage was valid.
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‘Big’ John McCarthy criticizes UFC Vegas 101 referee for controversial stoppage
During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, ‘Big’ John McCarthy reacted to the controversial conclusion of Kopylov vs. Curtis.
“Going into the third, I had it 1-1,” McCarthy said of Kopylov vs. Curtis. “It was obvious Kopylov was winning the third round, but the stoppage was bad…if Kopylov had gone after Chris, it would’ve been a good stoppage…you’ve gotta stop the fight when the person cannot defend themselves, and at that moment, there was nothing to defend against.
“You’re taking a look at what happened with Curtis, Curtis got hurt, got hit with a good kick and goes down on the side, but he’s looking towards his opponent to a point. And his opponent’s walking off? He has nothing to defend, don’t stop the fight there. If he’s out: stop the fight. But if he’s not, and his opponent’s walking off and you know I’ve already heard the clapping of the boards. Counting off in my head if you’re doing the job correctly…I don’t stop the fight [there].”
McCarthy, who has transitioned into a top analyst after a long career as an MMA referee, made similar errors while presiding over fights. But while he believes Smith made an honest mistake, he believes Curtis’s post-fight antics and frustration were warranted.
Chris Curtis at the center of UFC’s first controversial finish of 2025
After a ferocious start to his UFC career, Curtis’ showing at UFC Vegas 101 adds to a recent period of bad luck for the brawler. Over his last four fights, he’s been involved in two split decision fights and a no-contest due to an accidental headbutt sustained against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289.
Before the loss to Kopylov, Curtis lost a split decision to Brendan Allen in a short-notice main event booking last April. His last win came against Marc-Andre Barriault by split decision at UFC 297.
Despite the controversial finish against Kopylov, Curtis took home a post-fight performance bonus after earning ‘Fight of the Night’ honors. But, Curtis’s up-and-down run in the Octagon continues as 2025 gets underway.
Curtis will look to get back on track in his anticipated return later this year. As for McCarthy, he remains a top analyst and officiating resource in MMA.
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