Welterweight action on the UFC Vegas 114 card found Chris Curtis taking on Myktybek Orolbai.
The fight served as the night’s featured prelim, after a shuffling of the deck earlier in the week.
“The Action Man” Curtis was looking to build on a July victory over Max Griffin; Orolbai had won two straight, most recently defeating Jack “The Joker” Hermansson with an impressive first-round knockout at UFC Qatar in November.
Myktybek Orolbai came out fast on the feet, landing a front kick to the body and partially connecting with a high kick upstairs. Chris Curtis answered with a few short shots as the distance closed, but Orolbai quickly imposed his grappling, taking Curtis down with ease. It was not for a lack of trying, as Curtis looked to build back up along the cage, but Orolbai repeatedly dragged him back to the mat.
Orolbai continued to dominate on the ground, eventually transitioning to back mount, flattening Curtis out, and unloading strikes to the side of the American’s head.
With the takedown count already at seven going into round two, Orolbai had Chris Curtis second-guessing himself on the feet. There was a brief moment of defensive success for Curtis in the opening seconds of the round, as he defended his first takedown attempt of the fight. Still, it was short-lived, as Orolbai stayed committed to the game plan, shooting on the legs again and finishing the takedown this time.
Orolbai was on a mission all night, repeatedly lifting Curtis and returning him to the canvas, piling up takedowns and control time. Curtis was unable to break free from Myktybek’s grip, ending the round trapped underneath the Kyrgyzstan fighter.
By the time the third round began, Myktybek Orolbai had already broken the record for most welterweight takedowns landed in a fight, making it clear Chris Curtis badly needed a finish.
Unfortunately for the veteran, the third round brought more of the same, with Orolbai giving Curtis no room to breathe in the grappling exchanges.
Orolbai may have landed his best takedown of the fight midway through the round, lifting Curtis up and slamming him back to the mat before following with more crushing top pressure. As the final minutes ticked away, veteran Chris Curtis simply could not keep pace with the surging Myktybek Orolbai who ended up with a takedown count of 19.
With the unanimous decision victory, Orolbai looks right at home at welterweight. The Kyrgyzstan fighter now moves to 3-0 at 170 pounds and 5-1 overall in the UFC.
Official Result: Myktybek Orolbai def. Chris Curtis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
