Chris Curtis emerged victorious via split-decision against Marc-Andre Barriault tonight at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada.
Round One:
Curtis taking the center of the Octagon as Barriault circles on the outside. Missed kick from Barriault. Calf kick for Curtis. In the next 30 seconds he stays patient but lands another couple of calf kicks.
High kick from Barriault comes off the shoulder. He lands a punch. Barriault pumps out the jab but not quite finding his range.
Body kick for Barriault. Short punch in close from Curtis. leg kick for Barriault. Now a body kick.
Right hook from Curtis in close. Inside leg kick for Barriault. Now a head kick attempt that’s just blocked.
Curtis with a body punch. Knee from Barriault as Curtis tries to land a punch. Inside leg kick for Barriault.
Right and left hooks from Curtis as Barriault covers up. Punch for Curtis and low kick from Barriault.
Round Two:
Body kick for Barriault. Leg kicks exchanged. Body punches from Barriault. Left hand and a rip to the body from Curtis.
Inside leg kick from Barriault. Now a body kick. Left hand from Curtis. Right hand for Barriault. He lands a body kick, but eats a punch afterwards.
Barriault tries a brief flurry, but then Curtis lands a more meaningful punch combo. Body kick from Curtis. Barriault with a glancing knee to the body.
Body punch from Curtis. Jab for Barriault. Straight left from Curtis. Body kick for Barriault. left hand for Curtis. One-two from him gets through. Body kick again from Barriault. Body punch now for him.
Curtis just missing on an uppercut attempt. Front kick to the body for Barriault. Straight punches from Curtis. Another front kick to the midsection from Barriault.
Straight left for Curtis. He lands it again. Now a right hook. Elbow attempt from Curtis doesn’t get through. He works an uppercut as Barriault comes forward.
Round Three:
Body punch in close from Curtis. Body kick for Barriault. Curtis fires out the jab. Inside leg kick for Barriault.
Uppercuts exchanged. Knee for Barriault. Elbow from Curtis. Short punches in close for Curtis. Clubbing left hook from Barriault.
Right hand gets through for Curtis as Barriault was trying to work a knee. Barriault into range and lands an uppercut. Curtis with an elbow. Curtis with a knee inside.
Barriault with a left hook. Elbow steps in with an elbow. Right hand for Curtis. Flurry of punches and an elbow from Barriault.
Barriault working nicely from the clinch here and Curtis lands to the body too. Uppercuts land for both men. Knee in close for Barriault. A couple of uppercuts for him.
Curtis with an uppercut. Barriault constantly working into clinch range to strikes here. However a right hand from Curtis knocks him off-balance just for a moment.
More punches land for both men as they really go to it in the final round. Jab and more punches behind it from Curtis off the back foot.
Into the clinch and they both trade back and forth. Curtis ripping hard to the body now. Barriault trying to work a knee. Curtis landing the better blows late in the round and we’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
The first two rounds here were more cautiously contested than expected, but both men threw down in the final five minutes and in the end it’s Curtis who emerges with a split-decision victory after two judges see it for him by a wide margin (30-27 x3, 28-29).
