When it comes to the regional MMA scene, it doesn't get much better than this.
Las Vegas' Chris Curtis (21-8) will look to defend his Fight Night welterweight title for the first time when he squares off with California's Darren Smith Jr. (20-10) at Fight Night 12 Saturday night in Lethbridge, Alta.
Curtis, 32, enters the contest having dropped three straight, a first time occurrence for him having never lost more than one fight in a row.
Never having been in this spot before, Curtis said his current three-fight losing streak is one of the toughest things he's had to endure in his MMA career.
"I've never had to walk around with multiple losses in my entire life, and it has been the biggest blow to my pride to walk around with three losses in a row," said Curtis in an interview with MMA Empire.
"I can't tell you how often it keeps me up at night. I expect so much from myself, and to have three losses right now is somewhere I never thought I'd be."
On the flip side, Smith Jr., 32, is coming in hot, having won two fights in a row by knockout, including his most recent triumph at Teofista: Fight for the Troops over Curtis Demarce.
Smith Jr. will now take on his toughest challenge yet in his 30-fight career, and he said a win over Curtis has the potential to boost his stock significantly.
"A win over Chris would do nothing but great things because a lot of people know him from PFL and Dana White's Contender Series," said Smith Jr. in an interview with MMA Empire.
"I'm limited to a small circle where real fighters know who I am, but this fight, and win over Chris, would greatly improve that."
Curtis Starting to Settle in
Curtis is coming off his stint with PFL for the 2019 season, which saw him win his first fight before dropping the next three, including two playoff matchups.
In his first playoff fight with Magomed Magomedkerimov, he would go on to drop a unanimous decision, and would lay his gloves down on the canvas following the decision, hinting at retirement. However, a short time later, he was informed the fighter who was supposed to compete against Ray Cooper III for a shot at the $1 million final fight was unable to compete, forcing Curtis to put his retirement on hold and head back into the cage that same night.
Curtis said that whole experience was tough to go through, and said he didn't feel like he was 100 per cent when he re-entered the cage.
"I just lost in a million dollar tournament, so I kind of had a freak out and was serious, pissed, angry, emotional, and had such a bad adrenaline dump. I finally calmed down and came to grips with it and they came to me and said they need me to go back out in five minutes," said Curtis.
"I honestly felt like I was out cold during that whole fight. Watching it back now, it's almost like I'm watching someone else's story unfold. I wasn't mentally present—everything just slowed down around me."
A month after stepping away from his training routine, Curtis ultimately chose to postpone his retirement plans and returned to the gym.
Curtis shared that the grueling training camp leading up to the PFL tournament took a heavy toll on his personal relationships, which contributed to his uncertainty about staying in the sport.
Three months later, Curtis says he feels renewed and driven to step back into the octagon and demonstrate once more why he remains among the elite.
"It was genuinely tough," Curtis explained. "I relocated to Las Vegas for the tournament, meaning I was away from home for a full year. That move ended my engagement and kept me from my son for twelve months. It was a difficult stretch, and at some point you start questioning whether all the sacrifice is worth it."
"There are plenty of people back home who have faith in me, and this marks my first season under new coach John Wood. The past year has been about us figuring each other out while constantly living under the pressure of what comes next. I feel much stronger now heading into this tournament compared to before—our system is clicking, I've learned to be more receptive, and I've patched up some weaknesses. I refused to walk away without giving it everything I had."
Speed a Advantage For Smith Jr.
The matchup takes place at welterweight—Curtis' natural division—but Smith Jr. is climbing up in weight for this title bout, having competed primarily at lightweight throughout his career.
Even though he'll likely be the lighter competitor on fight night, Smith Jr. insists the size disparity won't factor into his performance.
"I train alongside quite a few welterweights and middleweights, so that physical gap isn't going to trouble me," Smith Jr. noted.
"As bouts progress, my pace and stamina remain steady, and that's exactly what I see as my advantage. He's accustomed to battling opponents he can outrun, but that dynamic shifts here."
This contest represents Smith Jr.'s fifth championship opportunity, with his title fight record standing at 1-3.
While adding another belt to his collection would be satisfying, Smith Jr. emphasized the personal growth aspect over accolades.
"There's certainly prestige to competing for a championship, since it signals you're among the top contenders in the organization, but right now I'm focused on pushing myself and demonstrating that I've improved each year," Smith Jr. said.
"A championship belt doesn't carry the same significance it once did for me, though it's definitely a nice reward for putting in the effort."
Curtis' Shoutouts
"I appreciate my head coach John Wood, AJ Matthews, and everyone at Syndicate MMA." Follow Curtis on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
Follow Smith Jr. on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
