Saturday, July 12, 2025 brings an intriguing welterweight showdown at UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville, where Max Griffin will square off against Chris Curtis. With Griffin looking to rebound from a submission loss at UFC 310 and Curtis aiming to shake off back-to-back defeats, both men enter the Octagon with a point to prove. Keep reading to get my analysis of this fight, including my Max Griffin vs Chris Curtis prediction.
Our Max Griffin vs Chris Curtis Pick
- Pick: Max Griffin via decision
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
- Bonus Bets For This Fight: You can get up to $1,500 in bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win with BetMGM promo code ATSBONUS
Tale of the Tape
| Chris Curtis | Max Griffin | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 37 | 39 |
| Reach | 76″ | 76″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Record | 31‑12‑0 (17 KO, 1 Sub) | 20‑11‑0 (9 KO, 2 Sub) |
Max Griffin vs Chris Curtis Preview
Chris Curtis is 31‑12 overall and returns to 170 lb action after a knockout loss to Roman Kopylov in January. Despite losing twice in a row via head‑kick KO and split decision, he remains a heavy hitter with a clear preference for stand‑up exchanges. In order to win this fight, though, I think Curtis needs to be judicious when deciding to enter striking exchanges to avoid getting caught with counter shots from Griffin.
Griffin has alternated wins and losses across each of his last six fights entering this bout. After a split decision win over Jeremiah Wells in February 2024, he accepted a short-notice bout against Michael Chiesa at UFC 310 and got submitted in the third round. While his ground game is respectable, with two career submissions, his durability against heavy strikers could hold up as he hasn’t been knocked out in nearly a decade.
Betting Insights
- Moneyline: Curtis is the clear favorite at -334, with Griffin a +250 underdog.
- Griffin has seen five of his last six fights go to decision.
- Curtis hasn’t earned a knockout win since 2022.
- Griffin’s last knockout loss came to Colby Covington back in 2016.
Chris Curtis vs Max Griffin Prediction
Curtis has demonstrated the power and precision to close distance and land fight‑changing shots. But those shots haven’t translated into stoppage wins, as he hasn’t earned one of those since 2022. I don’t expect that to change in this fight, as Griffin should be able to stay upright despite the striking barrage from Curtis.
My expectation here is for Griffin to weather an early storm from Curtis, likely losing the first round. Griffin will then bounce back and win rounds two and three as Curtis’ gas tank begins to falter down the stretch. I’ll take Griffin to win by decision at a nice plus price in what should be a fun back-and-forth fight.
