Curtis: “Internet Thinks I’m Stupid” Ahead Of Vieira Fight

Chris Curtis feels like the the advice he’s received online ahead of his next bout hasn’t been particularly helpful or insightful.

The 34-year-old is set to face Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 57 in his third fight for the UFC. While he’s already faced a pair of talented grapplers in Phil Hawes and Brendan Allen, “The Black Belt Hunter” promises to be more dangerous than either of them if things end up on the ground.

Curtis is well aware of the matchup’s style dynamic, and the middleweight was candid when asked at the event’s media day if he had any intention of grappling with the Brazilian.

“Fuck no. There’s no way,” Curtis answered. “People are like ‘Oh, you think you can grapple him?’ I’m like no, his nickname is ‘The Blackbelt Hunter.’ Like why would I even – why would that ever be part of the game plan? I love that the internet thinks I’m stupid too. I always get messages on Twitter like ‘Hey man, just don’t go to the ground with him.’ And I’m like ‘I never would have considered this to be my path to victory, thank you wise sir.’ Like no, come on.”

It was a long road for Curtis to finally make it to the UFC, and the veteran knows he can draw on his experience in order to prepare for a submission specialist like Vieira.

Curtis finished Brendan Allen in his last fight in December. (Zuffa LLC)

“I’ve got like 36 fights, 34 fights, something like that. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m very self-aware of where I’m good at and where I’m bad at, where I can hold my own. At no point in time is prolonged grappling exchanges gonna be part of my plan here. It’s just not a thing, no.”

“The Action Man” appeared on Contender Series 2018 and failed to earn a UFC contract despite a third-round stoppage win. The 34-year-old went on to fight in the PFL and pick up a few more wins in regional promotions before finally joining the UFC in 2021.

Curtis was an underdog heading into his first two UFC bouts but defied expectations by finishing both of his opponents via strikes. While he may not be able to have as busy a year as he previously hoped, Curtis can still get out to a 3-0 start in the UFC with a win over Vieira.

What do you think of Curtis’s comments about people on the internet providing advice for fighting Vieira?