In a January 2025 interview, Chris Curtis told MMA Junkie that he had turned down a short-notice offer to face Pereira in 2022. Curtis said this was the only proposed opponent he had declined during his time with the promotion, explaining that he did not want to take the fight on short notice.
What happened afterward
Curtis returned to competition on Jan. 11, 2025, against Roman Kopylov. Kopylov stopped him with a high kick at 4:59 of the third round, according to the official event results.
Curtis also competed on March 14, 2026. Myktybek Orolbai defeated him by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards, as listed in the official results.
The Offer in the Context of Curtis’s UFC Career
Curtis had previously benefited from accepting a short-notice UFC opportunity. His promotional debut came against Phil Hawes in November 2021, and he won by first-round knockout. That successful introduction followed years of competition outside the UFC, including a 2018 Contender Series victory that had not immediately resulted in a contract.
By the time UFC profiled him ahead of UFC 287 in April 2023, Curtis had compiled four wins in his first five Octagon appearances, with three knockouts and two Performance of the Night bonuses. That early record helps explain why his later account of declining Pereira stood out: it concerned one proposed matchup within an otherwise active start to his UFC career.
The interview describes Curtis’s own decision about an offer, rather than a bout that was officially booked and then contested. The short preparation time was central to his explanation. Keeping that distinction clear preserves the story’s focus on matchmaking and preparation without implying a result for a fight that never occurred.
Career background: UFC’s April 2023 Curtis profile.
