Chris Curtis and Roman Kopylov meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 249 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov UFC Fight Night 249 preview
Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) enters his first fight of 2025 seeking a definitive result. His last three walks to the octagon have resulted in a no contest and a pair of split decisions. Last January, Curtis won a split over Marc-Andre Barriault and then lost a split to Brendan Allen in April. … Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) also enters on the heels of a split decision. In June, Kopylov squeezed out a win over Cesar Almeida to return to the win column after a loss to Anthony Hernandez snapped a four-fight winning streak.
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov UFC Fight Night 249 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is another southpaw vs. southpaw affair between middleweights Curtis and Kopylov.
Although Curtis officially stands at 1-1 opposite UFC-level lefties, he could easily be 2-0 if weren’t for an unfortunate clash of heads in his fight with Kelvin Gastelum.
Curtis still takes some time to get his reads regardless of stance, but “The Action Man” is good about utilizing an underrated jab to get offense going on the feet. That said, leg kicks appear to be the common culprit for Cutis given the weighted nature of his front foot.
Sharing Curtis’s record against lefties and leg kick susceptibilities alike is Kopylov, who officially stands at 1-1 against UFC-level southpaws.
Kopylov is also good about using his lead hand in closed-stance affairs, and his bodywork will likely be key for his win conditions. That said, I still find myself siding with the superior bodyworker in Curtis.
Not only is Curtis the better striker in extended exchanges, but I believe that his pressure could wreak havoc against a fighter who struggles off the backfoot like Kopylov, particularly inside of the smaller cage.
Since MMA judges are traditionally blind to things like bodywork, counters and shoulder rolling, I’ll pick Curtis to win by split decision.
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov UFC Fight Night 249 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Kopylov -225 and Curtis +188 via FanDuel.
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov UFC Fight Night 249 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Curtis and Kopylov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 249
