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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
UFC middleweight Chris Curtis has agreed to step into a main event bout against Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night on April 6, the promotion announced on Friday.
Curtis (31-10), who has built a reputation on taking short notice fights, will fill in for Marvin Vettori, who announced this week he had withdrawn due to an injury. The UFC Fight Night takes place at the Apex facility in Las Vegas.
Allen (23-5) initially called for a matchup against a higher ranked opponent. Allen is ranked No. 6 in the division, while Vettori (19-6-1) is ranked No. 5. Curtis is currently ranked No. 14. Although Allen is ranked higher than Curtis, the two already fought December 2021 and Curtis defeated Allen via second-round TKO. Ironically, Curtis also took that fight on short notice.
Vettori, who is from Italy and now fights out of Las Vegas, apparently did not appreciate some of Allen’s statements following his withdrawal and has expressed interest in re-booking that matchup at some point.
“To my f—ing opponent, it’s on,” Vettori said. “You’re not gonna hide no more. I know I’m going to see you, either in the cage or not. I’ll see you around. I’m fed up with your bulls—. You sit down in front of a computer and become Hulk, but when you see me you’re like a quiet little girl, all smiles, trying to be nice. I punked you once already, you know that.”