Split Verdict Sends Brendan Allen Past Chris Curtis in UFC Fight Night 240 Headliner

Brendan Allen exacted a subtle measure of vengeance against Chris Curtis.

Allen continued his steady climb on the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight ladder and avenged one of his five career defeats, as he picked up a split decision over the former CES MMA titleholder in the UFC Fight Night 240 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Judges Derek Cleary and Eric Colon saw it 48-47 and 49-46 for Allen, while Michael Bell turned in a 48-47 scorecard for Curtis, who replaced Marvin Vettori on late notice and did so admirably.

The two rivals traded strategic barbs across five well-fought rounds. Curtis (31-11, 5-3 UFC)—who won their first meeting by technical knockout in December 2021—hammered the Kill Cliff Fight Club standout with body-head combinations, dazed him with a left hook in the third round and forced him to work for every inch of ground he gained. Allen mostly held his own in the standup department but excelled at shooting for takedowns and setting off scrambles. More than once he climbed onto Curtis’ back, threatened the neck and troubled him with pitter-patter punches from behind. With the outcome still very much up in the air, Allen swooped in for another attempted takedown late in the fifth round. Curtis turned away his advances but appeared to suffer a hamstring injury, leaving him vulnerable to a volley of knees in the waning seconds. It was a strong closing statement for Allen (24-5, 12-2 UFC), as he recorded his seventh straight victory by the thinnest of margins.

Meanwhile, Fortis MMA mainstay Damon Jackson withstood a late rally from Alexander Hernandez and walked away with a split verdict over the Factory X export in the three-round featherweight co-main event. Judges Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo scored it 29-28 for Jackson, while Bryan Miner submitted a 30-27 scorecard for Hernandez, who missed weight for the match by one and a half pounds.

Related » UFC Fight Night 240 Round-by-Round Scoring

Jackson (23-6-1, 6-4-1 UFC) outperformed “The Great Ape” through the first 10 minutes with activity, takedowns and effective standup. However, a beautiful counter right hand from Hernandez (14-8, 6-7 UFC) shifted momentum at the start of Round 3, sat down “The Leech” and set the stage for attritive exchanges in which both men enjoyed a modicum of success. Jackson bounced back late in the period, maneuvered behind the former Hero Fighting Championship titleholder, flattened him out and applied his ground-and-pound. Hernandez refused to wilt, escaped to his feet through sheer will, then engaged his opponent in close quarters before the remaining time ticked off the clock.

Hernandez has lost four of his last five fights.

Further down the card, Elevation Fight Team’s Jose Mariscal filled in as a short-notice replacement for Seung Woo Choi and eked out a split decision over ex-Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Morgan Charriere in a three-round featherweight feature. Judges Bell and Colon struck 29-28 scorecards for Mariscal, while Adalaide Byrd saw it 30-27 for Charriere.

It was a back-and-forth encounter in which neither man’s stock took a hit. Mariscal (16-6, 3-0 UFC) pushed a merciless pace at the outset and proved effective at close range with short punches and knee strikes to the body. Charriere (19-10-1, 1-1 UFC) answered with a strong second round, where he opened a cut near his opponent’s right eye, kept him at arm’s reach and piled up points with jabs, inside leg kicks and sharp right hands. With the outcome still in doubt, the featherweights traded dominant positions on the ground for much of a scramble-heavy Round 3. Mariscal powered on top with roughly a minute to go on the clock, progressed to half guard and unleashed a burst of left hands to the head, perhaps swinging the pendulum ever so slightly to his side.

Mariscal, 31, now finds himself on a six-fight winning streak.

Elsewhere, promising VFS Academy prospect Ignacio Bahamondes put away former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Tachi Palace Fights champion Christos Giagos with a head kick in the first round of their lightweight attraction. Giagos (20-12, 6-8 UFC) met his end 3:34 into Round 1.

Related » UFC Fight Night 240 Prelims: Morono Outpoints McGee

Bahamondes (15-5, 4-2 UFC) maximized his size and length, forcing the Kill Cliff Fight Club rep to operate on the outside. He staggered Giagos with a spinning hook kick and later pinned him to the fence with a flurry of punches. Bahamondes reset in open space once the finish failed to materialize and soon after floored the Californian with perfectly placed head kick. Giagos careened backward into the fence and took a defensive posture, resulting in an immediate stoppage.

It was the sixth first-round finish of Bahamondes’ career.

Finally, Serra-Longo Fight Team’s Charlie Campbell outlasted Trevor Peek to a unanimous decision in a grueling three-round lightweight appetizer. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it 30-27 for Campbell (9-2, 2-0 UFC), winning for the third time in as many appearances.

Clean combinations and thudding low kicks from Campbell counteracted his counterpart’s awkward aggression. Peek (9-2, 2-2 UFC) charged forward with reckless abandon, often absorbing two or three shots for every one he landed. With fatigue setting in, Campbell turned to a tactical takedown in the third round, kept the ex-Ares Fight Series champion at bay on the mat and threatened with chokes and cranks to bleed more time off the clock.

Peek, 29, has lost two of his past three bouts.

Continue Reading » UFC Fight Night 240 Prelims: Matsumoto Moves to 15-0