Chris Curtis is perturbed – actually more than perturbed. He’s “salty as f*ck” heading into UFC 287, and Raul Rosas Jr. is to blame.
Both fighters will compete March 4 at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami. Curtis, 35, is slated for a middleweight bout vs. former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, while 18-year-old Rosas draws his second UFC assignment against Christian Rodriguez.
The part that Curtis takes umbrage with? The UFC has relegated him to the featured prelim spot in favor of elevating Rosas onto the pay-per-view main card.
“Not gonna lie, that bout order is completely fucked,” Curtis tweeted on Thursday. “One of the best cards of the year and I get bounced from the main card for a child? I fought on short notice. Have (taken) on whoever and gone 4-1 to get ranked and I get bounced for a kid with one fight? Yeah I’m salty as fuck.”
Rosas (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) became an instant sensation when, while still just 17, he earned a UFC contract with an impressive performance last summer on Dana White’s Contender Series. That led to Rosas making his promotional debut this past December at UFC 282, where he made history as the youngest winner in UFC history following a first-round rear-naked choke submission of Jay Perrin in the featured prelim. Rosas has talked a big game since then, which has caught the attention of UFC president Dana White and Co.
Curtis (30-9 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has won eight of his past nine fights overall, including four of five in the UFC, as he enters his most high-profile bout to date. The long road he’s taken to this point, compared to Rosas’ instant promotional push, explains his saltiness.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
