Chris Curtis fought less than 10 weeks ago, but his passion for the sport moved him to accept a UFC Fight Night main event showdown on Saturday against surging middleweight contender Brendan Allen. Their five-round battle tops the main UFC fight card starting at 6 p.m. ET from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Curtis, who beat Allen already in November 2021, was busy with his young children at home and didn't plan to fight until later this year. However, when No. 5-ranked Marvin Vettori, Allen's originally scheduled opponent, dropped out at the last minute with an injury, Curtis said he couldn't turn down the opportunity to appear in a main event while receiving another paycheck for performing the sport he loves. The No. 6-ranked Allen has won six straight since his loss to Curtis and could crack the top-five of the UFC rankings with an impressive performance.
Allen is a -200 favorite (risk $200 to win $100), while Curtis comes back at +170 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2 odds. In the co-main event, explosive featherweights take the spotlight as Alexander Hernandez (-200) meets Damon Jackson (+170). Before locking in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Daniel Vithlani.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances.
Vithlani made his SportsLine debut in January 2023 and swept the main card for UFC 283 with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. In the last eight UFC pay-per-view events, Vithlani has gone 6-2 on main-event picks and his main-card selections in that span have netted his followers a profit of more than $1,500.
His highlights include calling an upset for Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130).
What's more, two weeks ago he went 5-0 on the UFC Fight Night main card for a profit of 5.25 units, highlighted by nailing the lone underdog to win, Youssef Zala (+125) against Billy Quarantillo (-145). Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2 on deck, Vithlani has studied the card from top to bottom and released his top picks. You can only see those picks at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2 preview
Allen (23-5) has seen his status as a potential future title contender come full circle. The 28-year-old South Carolina native earned a roster spot with a first-round submission on "Dana White's Contender Series" and gained attention behind a three-fight winning streak to start his UFC career that included a win over battle-tested veteran Kevin Holland.
However, his momentum stalled when he stepped up in competition and was stopped in the second round by Sean Strickland in their November 2020 fight. Strickland would go on to become the middleweight champion, while Allen worked his way back into contender status.
Following his loss to Strickland, Allen won his next two fights before facing another setback. This time it was a stoppage loss at the hands of Curtis, who, coincidentally, is the top training partner and best friend of Strickland.
Allen bounced back with his current winning streak, though all five fights came against mid-tier competition with the most notable victory coming against No. 13-ranked Paul Craig in his last outing. Getting his revenge against Curtis would prove Allen could get past a ranked power puncher, something he has yet to achieve.
Curtis (31-10-1) has had a bit of a bumpy road since his upset win over Allen, going 3-2-1 in six appearances while sliding back in the rankings. Although he is noted for his striking and durability, he is among the shortest fighters in the division at 5-10 and his lack of size has been a disadvantage in some fights.
What's more, fam sentiment has largely turned against Curtis because of his growing reputation as a poor sport who fails to congratulate his opponents after losses and complains at length on social media about decisions that didn't go his way. Still, another win against Allen would give the 36-year-old Ohio native leverage toward bigger fights against higher-profile opponents. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Vithlani's UFC Fight Night selections here: He is going with Charlie Campbell (-200) to get his hand raised against Trevor Peek (+170) in a battle of lightweight prospects to kick off the main card.
Campbell (8-2) is a straightforward boxer and brawler who made his UFC debut following stints in Bellator and the Cage Fury Fighting Championships. The 28-year-old is noted for giving a pro wrestling-style interview following his first-round knockout of Alex Reyes last September.
Peek (9-1) is known as a wild brawler whose defense-optional style often leads to nonstop action from the opening bell. The 29-year-old Alabama native is 2-1 in three UFC appearances and is coming off a decision win against Mohammad Yahya last October.
"If Campbell can keep Peek at distance, he is going to land early and often. Campbell's striking is much cleaner, and much sharper than Peek's. Betting against the wild man Peek is a little scary, but I believe Campbell is the much more skilled striker," VIthlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Allen vs. Curtis and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "will have the power advantage" to emerge with a dominant victory. Those UFC picks and analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks in 2023, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Brendan Allen (-200) vs. Chris Curtis (+170)
Alexander Hernandez (-200) vs. Damon Jackson (+170)
Morgan Charriere (-140) vs. Jose Mariscal (+110)
Igancio Bahamondes (-345) vs. Christos Giagos (+275)
Valter Walker (-340) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (+270)
Trevor Peek (+170) vs. Charlie Campbell (-205)
Court McGee (+240) vs. Alex Morono (-295)
Norma Dumont (-175) vs. Germaine de Randamie (+145)
Cynthia Calvillo (+135) vs. Piera Rodriguez (-155)
Dan Argueta (+155) vs. Jean Matsumoto (-185)
