UFC 289 Prelims: Chris Curtis, Nassourdine Imavov Bout Ends in No Contest

Our Featured Prelim's over early.

It will be ruled a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/YOyydQ0lGw

— UFC (@ufc) June 11, 2023

No. 14 Chris Curtis and No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov, came in looking to get back into the win column but neither fighter left the Octagon satisfied after the bout was called by referee Jason Herzog in Round 2 thanks to an accidental headbutt in the featured UFC 289 preliminary match.

Imavov started the fight strong and kept Curtis guessing by mixing clinical muay thai with crafty wrestling. Staying on the outside, Imavov picked apart Curtis’ leg with hard calf kicks before stepping off line and taking The Action Man’s back. Imavov proved that his slick takedown wasn’t a fluke after catching Curtis with the same trap only minutes later. This time however, Imavov nearly ended the fight with a rear-naked choke but Curtis managed to survive till the bell.

Imavov, looking to do damage inside midway through Round 2 accidently butted Curtis with the top of his forehead. The head clash immediately opened a severe gash near Curtis’ right eye. Curtis pleaded with Herzog for more time to recover, but after it was clear the blood wasn’t stopping anytime soon, the bout was called much to the dismay of both warriors.

Jasudavicius Grinds Way to Victory

Seemingly tied one round apiece heading into the final five minutes, Ontario flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius pieced up No.15 Miranda Maverick to edge out a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in front of her home crowd.

Jasudavicius (9-2) had no problem taking the fight to the ground but Maverick nearly closed the show in Round 1 after catching Jasudavicius in a dangerous armbar attempt off her back. Heading into Round 2, the Niagara Top Team fighter didn’t sway from her wrestling background and quickly put Maverick on her back.

Jasudavicius’ dominant second round gassed out Maverick (11-5), setting her up for her striking in Round 3. Maverick was flustered from the consistent pressure and Jasusdavicius took advantage. The 34-year-old Canadian landed at will, thudding Maverick with leather all the way till the final bell. Coming in as a (+245) underdog, Jasudavicius’ breakout performance may have earned her a spot in the Top 15.

Related » UFC 289 Round-by-Round Scoring

Zahabi Lays Out Aori in Round 1

After three straight decisions to kick off the night, Aiemann Zahabi brought the Rogers Arena crowd to its feet with a first round knockout of Qileng Aori (3:56).

Both bantamweights came in looking to build off of their two-fight win streaks and started the contests off cautiously feeling the other out. Unfortunately for Aori (24-10), his simple leg kick was met by a vicious left hook from the Tristar Gym prospect. Aori thudded into the canvas, looking up at a boisterous Zahabi, before having his head bashed in with two more finishing blows.

The pro Canada crowd loved every second of Zahabi’s (10-2) victory as the Quebec native provided another highlight reel to the delight of his countrymen.

Nelson Stuns Bilder

Kyle Nelson picked up his first win since 2019 after outclassing previously unbeaten prospect Blake Bilder (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in their featherweight showdown Saturday night.

Nelson (14-5-1) stalked Bilder the entire 15 minutes and even though he was the less active fighter, he was noticeably more efficient and damaging. Nelson wobbled Bilder with an overhand right near the end of the first round and carried the momentum throughout the fight.

In Round 2, Nelson’s leg kicks routinely spun Bilder around by the force. Bilder continued to pop off shots, but Nelson’s heavy handed strikes won the day.

Erceg Extends Winning Streak

Hoping to protect his eight fight win streak, Australian flyweight prospect Steve Erceg had his gloves full with No. 10 ranked David Dvorak.

Dvorak, off the heels of a unanimous decision loss to Manel Kape last December, looked sharp and fluid throughout the first two rounds, but Erceg proved to be no slouch. “Astro Boy” cracked, then dropped the five-fight UFC veteran before nearly pulling off the upset with a guillotine choke late in the second round. Fans roared as the two slugged it out to close out the round.

Round 3 was just as intense as both fighters kept up their incredible pace, but as the clock ticked, Dvorak began to fade. “The Undertaker” successfully took down Erceg to the mat but couldn’t keep him there. Erceg, sensing that the round was still anybody’s, found a takedown of his own with 53 seconds remaining. That final takedown may have been the deciding factor on two of the judges' scorecards, as the Astro Boy (10-1) made his presence known in a talented flyweight division with the unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

Belbita Outshines Oliveira

Diana Belbita (15-7) kicked off the prelims in front of her adopted hometown fans with a back and forth unanimous decision win over the scrappy Maria Oliveira (13-7).

“Spider Girl” opened in a squared stance and effortlessly landed punches and knees from both sides, but ate consistent counters from Belbita in the process. After trading in the center of the Octagon, the fight went to the ground as the two traded submission attempts.

Belbita’s shaper, more technical approach shined in the second round. The “Warrior Princess” pinned Oliveira against the fence with vicious knees before closing the frame with another takedown. Oliveira looked gassed heading back to her corner, but came out energized for the final round.

Despite Oliveira's boost, Belbita’s jab and consistent pressure kept the Brazilian on her back foot. Oliveria looked to pull out a late finish and threw multiple flying knees to try to sway the judges away from the hometown favorite. Both fighters lifted their hands in celebration after the final buzzer, but Belbita’s crisp, consistent pressure shined in the eyes of the judges (30-27, 30-27 29-28).