Chris Curtis faced Nassourdine Imavov in the prelims of UFC 289. The bout was unfortunately declared a no-contest in the third minute of the second round by official Jason Herzog. The result was a disappointing one for both fighters, who looked to strengthen their prospects in the middleweight division.
Fight stoppages due to in-ring injuries are becoming a common problem lately. Earlier we saw the Belal Muhammad vs Leon Edwards fight get declared no contest after an eye poke. The Bobby Green vs Jared Gordon fight was also stopped after an accidental headbutt.
Why was Chris Curtis vs Nassourdine Imavov’s bout ruled as no contest?
The UFC returned to Canada after four years, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver British Columbia. In the prelims two middleweight prospects faced off. Chris Curtis and Nassourdine Imavov both were coming off losses against Kelvin Gastelum and Sean Strickland respectively. Both seemingly had a point to prove in this contest that eventually ended in an unfortunate way.
Curtis suffered an agonizing eye cut after his opponent’s head struck him just above his right eye. The referee called a timeout and the medical personnel attended to the fighter. The fighter said he could not see on being asked multiple times, thus the match was ruled a no contest.
Both Curtis and Imavov looked distraught at the outcome of the fight. The Russian Sniper as he is known, Imavov had the fight going his way until the unfortunate incident occurred. As for the Action Man, Curtis this is another horrific incident he had to face during a fight. His last one was against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 287
Our Featured Prelim's over early.
It will be ruled a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/YOyydQ0lGw
— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023
Injury Update on Chris Curtis?
The 35-year-old shared an update on his condition via an Instagram post mentioning that he had to take ten stitches in his eye and a possible corneal abrasion. He spoke about his disappointment at not being able to perform in front of the Canadian audience who have had his back. Despite the setback, he seemed hopeful and spirited about a comeback.
The 185-pound fighter received numerous positive responses from fans over the update that he shared. Some of them read, “Heal up Cowboy” and “Dang bro that really sucks!”
Having a match being ruled a no-contest due to injury is usually not good for anyone. Not the fighters, the fight fans, or any of the stakeholders. For the Action Man, this is the second consecutive time he has to go through an incident of this sort.
As the mixed martial arts community awaits the return of the Action Man to the octagon, one has to wonder where this result places him in the pecking order and what his future holds.
