In October at the PFL’s first playoff event, Chris Curtis fought twice, but came up empty-handed in the win column.
In his first fight, Curtis dropped a unanimous decision to Magomed Magomedkerimov. Shortly thereafter, Curtis announced his retirement on Instagram. However, Magomedkerimov was disqualified from the playoff bracket when he fell ill backstage. Curtis was tapped as the replacement.
His next bout was a three-rounder against eventual welterweight winner Ray Cooper III. Eleven seconds into the second round, Cooper connected with a massive right hook. The shot knocked Curtis out cold for the first time in his professional career.
After the second leg of the back-to-back fights in one night, Curtis posted a Facebook status that included the line, “I really am done this time.”
However, Curtis (21-8 MMA) has apparently changed his mind since then. According to a fight announcement on Instagram by MMA promotion Z Promotions, Curtis has un-retired. He’s set to make his return Jan. 25 at Fight Night 12 at Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Curtis, 32, is the promotion’s welterweight tournament. He’ll look to snap a three-fight skid when he takes on fellow Californian Darren Smith Jr. (20-10) in the evening’s main event.
The two retirements in October haven’t been the only times Curtis signaled walking away from MMA. After he was passed on being signed by the UFC following a heel kick knockout victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in June 2018, Curtis retired.
On Thursday, Curtis addressed his multiple retirements on Twitter.
Check out the official fight announcement below:
