UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2 Fight Card, Predictions, & Odds

The UFC APEX in Las Vegas will play host to the top-flight middleweight clash between the No. 6-ranked contender Brendan Allen and No. 14-ranked challenger Chris Curtis this Saturday to further push their chances of getting a title shot.

This week's main stage belongs to the middleweights! @BrendanAllenMMA and Chris Curtis battle it out for the second time Saturday night 😤

[ #UFCVegas90 | Live on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/d6G9OdKrkI

— UFC (@ufc) April 1, 2024

This will be the second meeting between the two fighters. Curtis previously defeated Allen in December 2021 via a second-round TKO, giving him his second defeat in the UFC. Despite winning their first bout, Curtis is the betting underdog in the UFC odds at +170.

On the other hand, Allen is the -200 betting favorite because of his six-fight win streak, which dates back to February 2022. He aims to extend his win streak to seven and avenge his loss to Curtis in this upcoming match.

Brendan Allen Recent Fight Results

Allen is a former LFA champion who joined Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2019. He immediately impressed the promotion’s boss and earned a roster spot after submitting Aaron Jeffrey in the opening round of their match.

Since then, he has won 11 of his 13 UFC fights and defeated several notable opponents, including Kevin Holland, Kyle Daukaus, Sam Alvey, Bruno Silva, and Paul Craig. Besides the loss from Curtis, Allen’s other defeat was courtesy of Sean Strickland, who stopped him via second-round TKO in November 2020.

Chris Curtis Recent Fight Results

Curtis was already a veteran MMA fighter when he was signed by the UFC in 2021. He immediately picked up three straight wins inside the Octagon by beating Phil Hawes, Allen, and Rodolfo Vieira. However, he experienced up-and-down results after that.

Following that win streak, he split his next five fights, winning two against Joaquin Buckley and Marc-André Barriault but losing to Jack Hermansson and Kelvin Gastelum. His other fight with Nassourdine Imavov ended in a no-contest result due to the accidental clash of heads.

Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis 2: Tale of the Tape

Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis 2: Fight Analysis

The tale of the tape and the difference in the physicality between the two fighters goes out of the window because this will be their second meeting. Both had respective success in the first fight, and the difference in fighting styles was apparent.

Allen succeeded early in taking down Curtis and taking his back, resulting in an early submission attempt. But Curtis countered well, and he got out of danger to return to their feet, where he was more comfortable fighting.

During the same round, “All In” tried another submission maneuver through the leg lock but didn’t have enough leverage to force a tap out of Curtis. Furthermore, he successfully used his kicks and maximized his longer leg reach to land multiple strikes on Curtis’ body and head.

Meanwhile, the “Action-Man” was more active in throwing heavy strikes on Allen’s body, which visibly caused redness and damage via his punches. He made this possible by closing the distance and blitzing him with multiple jabs.

Curtis’s investment in Allen’s body enabled him to open up the opportunity up top of his head because he dropped his hands whenever Curtis marched forward. Curtis then timed a perfect right hook that wobbled Allen and started the barrage of strikes that eventually stopped Allen midway into the second round.

With the lessons that he learned from their previous fight, Allen is expected to double down on his grappling skills and submit Curtis to avoid the one-punch knockout power he has. Additionally, five of Allen’s six wins were through submissions.

Official Prediction: Submission victory for Brendan Allen