SUMMARY
- Chris Curtis had an unfortunate clash of heads in his last fight against Nassourdine Imavov.
- Marc Andre-Barriault finds himself in a rather precarious situation, as he has a UFC record of 5-5.
UFC 297 is around the corner, and fans are extremely excited about what is to come. Although the card has been slept on due to the stacked nature of future events, it is still going to be a good watch. As for this one, let’s take a look at the fight between Chris Curtis and Marc-Andre Barriault.
For the most part, all eyes are on the headliner of UFC 297 between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. Although there are some good fights on the card, none are as important as the middleweight title bout. Following the unexpected rise of the two fighters, they now find themselves battling it out for the all-important championship belt.
Expecting nonstop action in this one 😤
Chris Curtis vs @PowerBarriault pic.twitter.com/fNvHKDegwz
— UFC (@ufc) January 18, 2024
At the same time, Strickland’s long-time training partner and friend, Chris Curtis, will also be fighting on the main card. Following an unfortunate clash of heads in his last fights against Nassourdine Imavov, Curtis will be looking to get back to winning ways and rising up the rankings. Currently 2-2 in his last four and 4-2-1 in the UFC, the onus is on Curtis to come through with a big win.
As for his opponent, Marc Andre-Barriault finds himself in a rather precarious situation. Despite two wins on the bounce, the Canadian finds himself 5-5 in the UFC. Thus, a win in his next fight would go a long way for him. Facing a tough and durable opponent like Curtis, it will be interesting to see how this one pans out.
UFC 297: Chris Curtis vs Marc-Andre Barriault stats
Stats | Chris Curtis | Marc-Andre Barriault |
---|---|---|
Wins | 30 | 16 |
Losses | 10 | 6 |
Height | 5′ 9″ | 6′ 1″ |
Division | Middleweight | Middleweight |
Reach | 76″ | 74″ |
Age | 36 | 33 |
Chris Curtis vs Marc-Andre Barriault: Fight breakdown and prediction
For the most part, Chris Curtis is expected to win this one. Despite being labeled as a ‘gatekeeper’ by the division, Curtis has accepted the moniker. With that said, the 36-year-old will continue to hold his position, dispatching any new contenders sent his way. Notably, ‘Action Man‘ has notched up some big wins against the likes of Phil Hawes and Brendan Allen, proving that he can more than hold his own.
Chris Curtis responds to “gatekeeper” comments from fans ahead of #UFC297:
“People say ‘you’re a gatekeeper.’ Ok, but you can’t come in.” pic.twitter.com/KHTWijExVT
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) January 17, 2024
As for his opponent, we have the substantially bigger man and the home team representative, Marc Andre Barriault. Following an abysmal start in the UFC, the Canadian has corrected his course, coming off two back-to-back wins. As such, the matchmakers likely believe that he is ready to break into the rankings; however, that is for ‘Powerbar‘ to prove come Saturday night.
Despite being the smaller man, Curtis comes in with a longer reach. With both fighters preferring to throw down, it will be a notable advantage. With that said, both Curtis and Barriault have been known to be very scrappy in their fights. Whilst Barriault picks and chooses his moments to blitz on opponents, Curtis is very good with his shot selections. As for their power comparison, Curtis is arguably the harder hitter of the two.
This sequence from @PowerBarriault! 😳
🍁 Marc-André Barriault looks to crack into the top 15 MW ranks Saturday night!
[ #UFC297 | LIVE on PPV | Main Card 10pmET ] pic.twitter.com/Gsq04n81h4
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) January 18, 2024
Combined with his longer reach and his tendency to go for the body, there is a very clear path to victory for Curtis here. All things considered, Marc will need to step away from his traditional pace of fighting and implement some things. Barring a shock injury or a life performance out of Barriault, the Xtreme Couture representative is expected to win this one.