How can a large portion of the MMA community call a bout the “Fight of the Year,” but that same scrap not win the Fight of the Night bonus?
It happened on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the main event of UFC Vegas 90, Brendan Allen avenged his December 2021 loss to Chris Curtis with a hard-fought split-decision win at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Here is a look at the official scorecard.
Allen-Curtis 2 left many calling the scrap the “Fight of the Year.”
Here is a look at just some of the sentiment shared by current and former fighters following the UFC Vegas 90 main event.
After the fight, Curtis left the arena on a stretcher having injured his leg furing the final 30 seconds of the bout.
Despite the acclaim of writers and fighters, the UFC chose the featherweight scrap that saw Chepe Mariscal narrowly–and somewhat controversially–edge Morgan Charriere by split decision as the Fight of the Night winner.
Charriere and Mariscal will both receive bonuses for their efforts.
While most acknowledged Charriere and Marsical’s fight was an entertaining, many felt Curtis and Allen might have received a raw deal being omitted from the bonus pool.
The lack of a bonus added insult to injury for Curtis. The middleweight reportedly suffered a torn hamstring in the fight.
If he is out of action for an extended period–which is likely with that injury–it probably would have been nice to at least walk away with the bonus many thought he earned.
As it is, Curtis will have to be satisfied with the effort.