UFC 297’s main card delivered excitement as Chris Curtis triumphed over Marc-Andre Barriault by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) at the ScotiaBank Arena in Canada. In his post-fight interview, Curtis, known as “The Action Man,” responded to a question about a possible title shot by discussing whether he would get to fight Sean Strickland. Curtis shared stories of how Strickland used to fight him for free, and they had even been kicked out of three gyms together for fist-fighting with each other.
Close friends and gym mates, Curtis and Strickland train together at Xtreme Couture. Both middleweights have revealed instances where they engaged in fistfights at the gym, with each blaming the other for initiating. Recently, Strickland posted a photo of himself and Curtis in the gym which revisited the dispute. In response, Curtis said that it was from their second fight at the gym, where he accused Strickland of striking him first.
Strickland didn’t deny his actions but explained himself in a sarcastic manner, accusing Curtis of rushing towards him and calling him names, provoking him to retaliate. “Yeah, sorry for throwing the first punch… When you came running at me from across the mat calling me a motherfu**er, I thought, ‘Oh man, Curt’s about to attack me.’ I didn’t realize you just wanted to hug and talk about communism,” Strickland said.
Despite their rivalry, Curtis and Strickland have collaborated on a podcast titled “The Man Dance Podcast,” showcasing their entertaining dynamic. With their growing popularity, fans are eager to see where their journey will take them in the future.
