One UFC Nashville star was in desperate need of his long-awaited arrival on MMA’s biggest stage four years ago.
Before all eyes turn to Dustin Poirier’s retirement fight at UFC 318, the promotion has business to attend to in Nashville.
Topping the July 12 UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena will be Derrick Lewis, the UFC’s leader in knockouts. He’ll look to add to his violent tally at the expense of Tallison Teixeira.
Among the other notable names set to make the walk this Saturday is a middleweight who had one of the most memorable and impressive debuts in recent memory.
Chris Curtis knocked out Phil Hawes in shocking UFC 268 debut
After over 30 professional fights and a Dana White’s Contender Series win that didn’t net a contract, Chris Curtis finally got his UFC opportunity in late 2021.
Having been called up on late notice, ‘Action Man’ got to make his debut at the prestigious Madison Square Garden, taking on Phil Hawes at UFC 268.
Unbeaten in the UFC and riding a seven-fight winning run, Hawes entered the cage as a massive favorite. Curtis, though, wasn’t about to have a debut that was over a decade in the making spoiled.
After a largely dominant start by Hawes, ‘No Hype’ was suddenly wobbled by a left hook in the final minute of round one before being put away by follow-up shots on the ground, sparking wild reactions from the commentary team.
“Oh! Chris Curtis! Chris Curtis has shocked the world,” Anik exclaimed.
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Chris Curtis had $10 in his bank before his UFC debut win
Curtis’ long-awaited UFC opportunity came 34 fights into his professional career. But a lengthy stint on the regional scene is far from lucrative for MMA fighters.
‘Action Man’ proved as much by revealing his financial struggles in the lead-up to his UFC debut while speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
“I’m lucky because I live with my manager and I’m not gonna be homeless,” Curtis said.
“Hilariously broke to me is…there was $10 in my bank account because we had some expenses come up before that. Fighting on the regional scene, and getting paid well on the regional scene doesn’t go as far as you think once you take out fees, taxes, management, all of that stuff.
“Going into that UFC fight, the only reason I survived those three weeks was because Mick Maynard took care of me for weighing in. That saved me because I had nothing.
“After that, I was down to like $10 in my bank account because I was trying to catch up on bills and keep everything afloat. So, yeah, you go into a UFC fight with $10 in your bank account is rough.”