On his second run in Bellator MMA, with a stint in the UFC in between, Curtis Millender was looking to up his value at Bellator 243. About to hit free agency, he had a chance to put together a two-fight win streak. Of course, American Top Team’s Sabah Homasi would have something to say about that.
The pair threw down at a 175lb catchweight on Friday, a smart move given the pandemic. The fight opened the event’s main card.
With action underway, Homasi was taking some big swings, particularly with an overhand right. Millender worked in kicks, a spinning back fist, and relied on his length to keep Homasi on the outside. With a five inch reach advantage, it was a smart approach. Homasi’s kicks, to the body in particular, hit home however, and he soon closed the distance for a takedown with nearly two minutes remaining in the round. That game Homasi a fair amount of time to work from guard. Not enough, however, to come close to finishing the lanky Millender.
Round two saw Homasi continue to find success with kicks upstairs. He punched his way inside within the first minute, tying Millender up, looking for the takedown. With some effort, he’d land that, pulling his opponent’s legs out from under him along the fence. Homasi moved to half guard, looking for space to slip in an elbow or two. Millender would try to scramble, and briefly flash a triangle attempt, but that just resulted in Homasi taking his back briefly. A slip-up from Homasi however allowed Millender to get on top, with less than a minute in the frame. “Courteous” would be on his back again by the bell, however.
It certainly felt like Curtis Millender would need a finish in the third if he was to walk away with a win on Friday. He took the fight to Homasi early in the round, landing a kick, his jab, and bringing Homasi’s gas tank into question. However, a choke attempt saw Millender give up position, allowing Homasi to get on top. Millender would actually make his way back on top, ending the round on top dropping ground and pound. It wasn’t enough, however, as the scorecards gave it to Homasi.
Official Result: Sabah Homasi def. Curtis Millender by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
