The UFC is returning to its Apex facility in Las Vegas this weekend on June 25th for an exciting Fight Night event. The card features a number of bouts which will be a treat to watch for the viewers. So, let’s preview one such fight from the main card of the event between Chris Curtis and Rodolfo Vieira.
This is a matchup between an elite striker in Chris Curtis and an elite grappler in Rodolfo Vieira. Curtis is coming into the fight with three wins on a trot since his UFC debut. On the flip side, his opponent is 3-1 in the UFC, his most recent outing was against Dustin Stoltzfus in July 2021.
Chris Curtis finished Andre Fialho via TKO in 2019#UFCVegas57 pic.twitter.com/NMAXsXfim2
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) June 24, 2022
There is a significant 6.4 cm reach difference between the two in favor of Chris Curtis. Apart from the reach difference and different fighting styles, there really isn’t much that differentiates the two fighters. The odds suggest the same as Curtis has emerged as a slight favorite over his opponent Vieira.
Stats | Thiago Moises | Christos Giagos |
---|---|---|
Wins | 28 | 8 |
Losses | 8 | 1 |
Height | 1.78 m | 1.83 m |
Division | Middleweight | Middleweight |
Reach | 191.8 cm | 185.4 cm |
Age | 34 years old | 32 years old |
Can Chris Curtis knockout Rodolfo Vieira?
As mentioned earlier, Chris Curtis is an elite striker. He has 28 wins in his MMA career out of which 15 have come by way of TKO/KO. So it is safe to suggest that he most certainly has the ability to knock out his opponents.
Moreover, Chris Curtis is much more effective in striking than his opponent. The former has striking accuracy of nearly 67%. Whereas, Vieira scrapes through at nearly 49%. By looking at stats on paper, we can suggest that if this fight were to offer a knockout, it will most likely be by Curtis.
However, it is worth noting that Rodolfo Vieira has never been knocked out in his 9 fight MMA career. He has only lost one bout so far and that too by submission. It will be interesting to see if Vieira is able to neutralize Curtis’ threat with his grappling or not.
Our prediction: Chris Curtis by TKO/KO