Eric Nicksick, head coach of Chris Curtis, expressed frustration over the stoppage of Curtis’s fight against Roman Kopylov at UFC Vegas 101, alleging referee bias and mishandling of the bout, particularly criticizing the decision to stop the fight with one second remaining.
Eric Nicksick isn’t exactly thrilled about the stoppage in the Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov fight at UFC Vegas 101. But that’s not his main gripe. Kopylov snagged a third-round TKO, with just a second left on the clock, thanks to referee Mark Smith’s decision. Curtis was furious, and so was Nicksick, his coach.
Nicksick suspects there’s a vendetta. When asked if he’d consider having Smith removed from future bouts involving his team, he didn’t hold back. "I’m going to find that out 100 percent," he said on his podcast Verse Us. He believes Smith might hold grudges or biases, given past experiences.
Smith’s alleged fraternization with other gyms and teams raises eyebrows for Nicksick. "Lines have been blurred," he remarked, labeling Smith an egomaniac. It’s unheard of for refs to solicit votes for MMA Ref of the Year, according to him.
Yet, deep down, Nicksick concedes Smith is a good guy and a perfectionist. But ego? It’s there, undeniably. And Nicksick doesn’t trust he’ll get fair treatment moving forward. He likened Smith to Eddie ‘The Mush’ from A Bronx Tale.
The controversial stoppage felt like icing on the cake for Nicksick. Sure, Curtis shouldn’t have been head-kicked, but the timing of the call left both men fuming. It wasn’t just about what happened inside the octagon.
Before the fight even began, tensions were simmering. The ref’s pre-fight query—“Any questions or concerns?”—sparked Curtis’s worries about stalling tactics. A game plan was laid out: pick up the pace in Round 1 and beyond.
But when infractions started stacking up—mouthpiece out, groin strike, eye poke—Nicksick’s frustration boiled over. Promises made by Smith weren’t kept, leading to a heated exchange with him and Nate Pettit.
Curtis has hit a rough patch lately, losing two straight and only securing one win in five fights. He’s now mulling over a return to welterweight, where he spent most of his career before joining the UFC.
Nicksick acknowledges that Curtis would’ve lost on points had Smith not stopped the fight. But as a coach and advocate for fighters, he feels it was an unjust way to end things.
Questionable stoppage? Absolutely. With one second left and no follow-up attack from Kopylov, Nicksick argues it robbed Curtis of a proper finish. Fighters pour their heart into these battles; let them go out on their shield, he insists. "That was some bitch shit," he concluded passionately.