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Can Chris Curtis Get It Done On Short Notice? | FIGHT PREVIEW

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It’s almost that time again, for the second time this year the octagon is set to return to London for a night of caged carnage on July 23rd. Although the card has taken a hit in regard to Darren Till’s withdrawal due to injury, “The Action Man” has come to save the day and provide exactly what his nickname suggests, as Chris Curtis steps in to continue his winning ways against #8 ranked middleweight, Jack Hermansson.

Only making his long overdue UFC debut in November of last year, Chris Curtis has wasted no time making himself known and displaying 36 fights worth of skill and experience in order to start his UFC campaign in the best way possible. Riding an 8 fight win streak with his last taste of defeat being back in 2019, the 34 year old impressed right from the jump, securing a first round finish over the highly touted Phil Hawes, before going on to finish Brendan Allen less than a month later, both at the hands of his debilitating striking. His most recent outing came just last month, advancing to 3-0 in the UFC with a unanimous decision victory over BJJ ace Rodolfo Viera, a body work clinic seeing Curtis cruise through the Brazilian with his striking once more.

One can only assume this will be a classic striker vs grappler matchup, Curtis keeping a relentless Hermansson off him while picking him apart on the feet. Impressively, the former has averaged 7.23 significant strikes per minute during his UFC run so far, landing with an accuracy of 65%. While Hermansson has never been known for being a striker, more so using it as a vehicle to get in close and initiate the grappling exchanges, he does like to set a high pace with a volumous approach, something while Curtis will have to nulify, using his power and accuracy with that stifling body work to gain some respect and slow Jack down. Along with the impressive striking we’ve seen from Curtis thus far and that short range power, his takedown defence has been some of the most effective in the UFC, something I imagine will greatly be put to the test yet again this time out. He has defended 26/26 takedown attempts he has faced during his UFC run so far, a very impressive stat regardless of the caliber of wrestler he has encountered.

Hermansson on the other hand has struggled as of late to hold down a spot at the top of the rankings, going 2-3 in his last 5 outings in the UFC. His only two wins within those last 5 have been over Edmen Shahbazyan and a Kelvin Gastelum who is yet to look like the dangerous top contender he once was after a rough patch himself. The success Hermansson has found has almost always been by way of his grappling chops, initiating the clinch against the cage and getting the fight to the mat to look for a submission or some ground and pound to grind out a victory. His game used to be built around that heavy ground and pound during his ascension into the middleweight rankings, a tool which he hasn’t found too much success with since. Not only does he have an imposing top game, but his submission game is also very effective off the back, with a nasty guillotine we’ve seen him pull off many a time on his rise into the division. There’s no question, he has heart, he has a gas tank and he can fight at pace, just look at his fight with Vettori, but will this be enough to take out Curtis?

This is a must win fight for Hermansson, he’s fighting in familiar territory, against a man in Chris Curtis who is looking to use him as a path to the top 10. A loss here won’t see him fighting up the division any time soon back toward title contention, while a win for Curtis means top 5 contests aren’t too far in the future, considering the majority of the top 5 have already fought for the belt and failed, there’s no better time than now. Will Hermanssons pressure grappling approach prevail or will Curtis be able to dictate the pace and pick him apart en route to a 4-0 UFC start and a ranked spot?

Be sure to tune in on July 23rd to find out.

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Paul Hughes Gets New Opponent as Oduwole Out

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Cage Warriors – Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation – have today announced a change in the scheduled opponent for Irish superstar Paul Hughes at Cage Warriors 170. 

An injury occurring just days after he signed to fight Hughes has forced Yemi Oduwole out of the contest. 

The promotion wishes him a speedy return to full health. 

CW officials have moved quickly to secure a suitable replacement, today confirming that Hughes will remain on the Saturday, April 6th bill, now facing off with Edgar ‘Smooth’ Escarrega. 

The bout will feature on the main card of CW 170 at Dublin’s iconic RDS, and air live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners. 

The 29-year-old Escarrega, who hails from the port city of Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico, brings an impressive 12-3-1 record to the contest. 

The Victory Fight Club man – who is a striker by trade – is unbeaten in his last six contests, and from twelve victories has a total of five KOs, two submissions and five points wins to his name. 

“From Mexico to the world, here I come!” said Escarrega, when signing on the dotted line for what is undoubtedly the biggest opportunity of his professional career. 

Hughes, from County Derry, is widely considered to be on the cusp of signing with the UFC following a series of impressive performances in the famous yellow gloves of Cage Warriors. 

‘Big News’ recently vacated his featherweight title, moving up to the 155lb division to stop top contender Jan Quaeyhaegens in the first round. 

Also scheduled for the CW 170 card, Dublin’s James ‘Jimbo Slice’ Sheehan contests the vacant welterweight title with Switzerland’s Daniel Konrad, with Ger Harris, Solomon Simon, Decky McAleenan, Taka Mhandu and more set to feature. 

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“I Should Get The Shot” – Jacob Smith Wants World Title Fight If He Bests Denis Puric At ONE Fight Night 21

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Fiery flyweight Muay Thai star Jacob Smith enjoyed a triumphant return to ONE Championship last December at ONE Fight Night 17 after 18 months on the sidelines. 

The Scouse striker knocked out Walter Goncalves to gain momentum in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he plans to add to it next month.

Smith returns to action against Bosnian-Canadian powerhouse Denis Puric at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on Saturday, 6th April, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. 

Fans anticipate a thunderous clash, as they are both known to finish fights. Smith feels he knows what to expect from Puric, and he plans to give him an unwelcome gift for his birthday. 

“I’m either going to stop him with the knee or stop him with an elbow. I feel like the first round is going to be quite fiery. But if he decides to rush me too early, he’s going to walk into some big shots, so I could just finish him in round one,” he said. 

“But I’m sure I’m fighting him on his 39th birthday. So, unfortunately, my birthday present is going to be me knocking him out.”

When Jacob Smith debuted in ONE Championship at May 2022’s ONE 157, he battled ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon across three rounds of hard-hitting action. 

He came up short that night via unanimous decision, and a series of injuries forced him to take time away from action afterward. But that gap seemed to have allowed him level up his skill set. 

Smith came back stronger than ever, and his first-round finish of Goncalves last December pegged him as one to watch. The #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender is hoping to score back-to-back wins against Puric next month, and he knows exactly what he wants if he’s successful.

“My goal is to be ONE Championship Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, and fingers crossed by the end of the year that comes through,” Smith said. 

“Rodtang is the champion, and Superlek is number one. After beating Walter, I’m now number two. Rodtang and Superlek are probably going fight each other again soon. Then I should get the shot at the winner after I beat Puric.”

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UFC Vegas 89 – Results | Ribas vs Namajunas

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Live from the Apex, UFC Vegas 89 saw former strawweight Rose Namajunas make her second appearance at flyweight against contender Amanda Ribas.

Note: any point deductions will be denoted by an asterisk and explained at the bottom of the page.

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Main card (2am GMT – TNT Sports)

Rose Namajunas defeats (#8) Amanda Ribas via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) – flyweight bout

Karl Williams defeats Justin Tafa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) – heavyweight bout

Edmen Shahbazyan defeats AJ Dobson via knockout (punches – 4:43 – R1) – middleweight bout

Payton Talbott defeats Cameron Saaiman via TKO (punches – 0:21 – R2) – bantamweight bout

Youssef Zalal defeats Billy Quarantillo via submission (rear-naked-choke – 1:50 – R2) – featherweight bout

Fernando Padilla defeats Luis Pajuelo via submission (brabo choke – 2:45 – R1) – featherweight bout

Prelims (11pm GMT – TNT Sports/UFC Fight Pass)

Trey Ogden defeats Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – lightweight bout

Julian Erosa defeats Ricardo Ramos via submission (guillotine – 2:15 – R1) – featherweights bout

Miles John defeats Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – bantamweight bout

Jarno Errens defeats Steve Nguyen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – featherweight bout

Darya Zheleznyakova defeats Monsterrat Rendon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – bantamweight bout

Andre Lima defeats Igor Severino via disqualification (biting – 2:52 – R2) – flyweight bout

Mick Parkin defeats Mohammed Usman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – heavyweight bout

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