Sean Strickland defends Chris Curtis following controversial decision loss to Brendan Allen at UFC Vegas 90: “He was so out of shape.. and still won”

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland came to the defense of his teammate Chris Curtis after UFC Vegas 90.

Curtis’ short-notice gamble against Brendan Allen fell short of victory at UFC Vegas 90 on Saturday. In a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, Curtis and Allen traded blows throughout five rounds, leading to razor-thin margins on the judges’ scorecards.

Allen ended up walking away with the split decision victory over Curtis. The fight was a rematch of their 2021 matchup that Curtis won by second-round TKO.

Strickland, a top teammate of Curtis, revealed that his UFC Vegas 90 showing came despite an awful preparation.

Sean Strickland claims robbery after Chris Curtis falls at UFC Vegas 90

In a pairs of tweets, Strickland weighed in on the UFC Vegas 90 main event.

He was so out of shape and under prepared for this fight.. and still won..

You don't say no to the UFC lol every UFC fighter knows that.. They say jump you say how high lmao

Shoulda finished high school lmao! https://t.co/FO3EJhTdi3

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) April 7, 2024

“He was so out of shape and under prepared for this fight..and still won..” Strickland tweeted. “You don’t say no to the UFC lol every UFC fighter knows that.. They say jump you say how high lmao.

“Shoulda finished high school lmao!”

Alright I'm done bitching lol we're all grown ass men and we all make our own decisions..

Just run it back on a full camp, curt deserves that.

Goodnight yall!

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) April 7, 2024

“Alright I’m done bitching lol we’re all grown ass men and we all make our own decisions.. Just run it back on a full camp, curt deserves that. Goodnight yall!”

Strickland defeated Allen earlier in their UFC tenures en route to eventually winning the middleweight title. He most recently lost to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 after winning the belt over Israel Adesanya.

Curtis’ short-notice undertaking came after defeating Marc-André Barriault at UFC 297. The win snapped a two-fight skid, including a no-contest against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289.

Despite losing at UFC Vegas 90, Curtis’ middleweight stock remains strong after his performance. The veteran won his first three UFC fights before a current stint of ups and downs inside the Octagon.

Strickland and Curtis will look to get back on track in their Octagon returns later this year. After falling to du Plessis in January, Strickland is vying for another title shot in the crowded middleweight title picture.

Curtis isn’t far behind in the middleweight ladder and remains a dangerous out for most top contenders.