# Curtis Millender

Curtis Millender (born December 1, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2013, Millender has formerly competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).

## Mixed martial arts career
### Early career

Millender began his professional MMA career in February 2013. During this period of his career, Millender competed exclusively for the California-based promotion, Fight Club OC. He compiled a perfect record of 7–0 in the organization, which included a three-round split decision victory over 10-6 Dominic Waters to become the FCOC welterweight champion.

### Bellator MMA

Millender was expected to make his promotional debut against Michael Page at Bellator 134 on February 27, 2015. However, after a cut suffered by Page, Millender instead faced Brennan Ward at the event. Millender lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round, resulting in the first professional loss of his career.
Millender next faced Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 137 on May 15, 2015. He lost the fight via guillotine choke submission in the third round. Millender was subsequently released from the promotion following his loss to Gonzalez.
Millender returned to face Steven Ciaccio at Bellator 141 on August 28, 2015. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Millender faced Johnny Cisneros at Bellator 170 on January 21, 2017. He won the fight via TKO in the first round due to strikes.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

On the heel of a six fight win streak, including three straight on the regional scene under the Legacy Fighting Alliance promotion, Millender signed with the UFC in January 2018.
Millender made his promotional debut against Thiago Alves on February 18, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 126. He won the fight via a technical knockout in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.
Millender faced Max Griffin on July 7, 2018, at UFC 226. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Millender faced Siyar Bahadurzada on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Millender faced Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on March 9, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 146. He lost the fight via a submission in round one.
Millender faced Belal Muhammad on April 13, 2019, at UFC 236. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
On November 3, 2019, it was announced that Millender had been released from the UFC.

### Return to Bellator

In November 2019, Millender announced that he had signed a contract with Bellator MMA.
In his return to the promotion, Millender faced Moses Murrietta at Bellator 238 on January 25, 2020. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
As the last fight of his prevailing contract, Millender faced Sabah Homasi at Bellator 243 on August 7, 2020. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

### Professional Fighters League

Already an alternative for the season, Millender stepped in on short notice and replaced David Michaud for the whole PFL 2021 season. He faced Rory MacDonald on April 29, 2021, at PFL 2 as the start of the 2021 PFL Welterweight tournament. He lost the bout in the first round via a rear-naked choke submission.
Millender faced Magomed Magomedkerimov at PFL 5 on June 17, 2021. He lost the bout via ezekiel choke submission in the first round.
Millender, as a replacement for Sadibou Sy, was scheduled to face Gleison Tibau on August 13, 2021, at PFL 7. On August 12, Millender was announced to have pulled out of the bout against Tibau.

### Post PFL

Millender faced Jared Gooden on April 2, 2022, at XMMA 4. He lost the bout after getting dropped in the second round from a leg kick and getting finished by ground and pound.
Millender faced KB Bhullar on September 23, 2022, at Unified MMA 46. The bout ended in a no contest after an eye poke left Millender unable to continue.
Millender faced Salaiman Ahmadyar for the UNF Middleweight Championship on January 28, 2023, at UNF 4, winning the bout via TKO stoppage at the end of the first round.
Millender rematched KB Bhullar on March 31, 2023, at Unified MMA 50, winning the bout via unanimous decision.
Millender then defended his UNF Middleweight Championship against Sidiah Parker at UNF 11 on September 2, 2023. He won the bout via unanimous decision.
Millender faced Joel Bauman at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 on November 10, 2023. He won the fight via split decision.
Millender faced Alexander Shlemenko at Shlemenko FC 10 on June 1, 2024. He lost the fight via first round TKO.

## Boxing career

Millender made his professional boxing debut against John Mercurio on February 17, 2022, winning via second-round knockout.
He made his sophomore appearance in the sport against Ke-ali’i Kanekoa at BYB Extreme Trigon Combat on April 27, 2023. He won the bout via second-round knockout.
He then faced Ryan Ford on May 26, 2023. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

## Personal life

Millender has two sons: Curtis Jr. and Carter. Millender is currently married to his long time girlfriend Ashley Richie now Ashley Millender. The two were married June 23, 2019. July 2020 they welcomed another baby boy Cross.

## Championships and accomplishments
### Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
** Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Thiago Alves
* Fight Club OC
** FCOC Welterweight Championship (Two times)
*** One successful title defense
* Lights Out Promotion
** Lights Out Welterweight Championship (One time)
* Up Next Fighting
** UNF Middleweight Championship (one time; current)
*** One successful title defense

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 35 matches | 22 wins | 12 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 2 |
| By submission | 0 | 7 |
| By decision | 15 | 3 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 22–12 (1) | Yaroslav Amosov | Submission (anaconda choke) | Cage Fury FC 140 | March 14, 2025 | 1 | 4:17 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Catchweight (183 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 22–11 (1) | Jesse Ronson | Submission (guillotine choke) | Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 8 | November 15, 2024 | 1 | 4:49 | Biloxi, Mississippi, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout. Bare knuckle MMA. |
| Loss | 22–10 (1) | Alexander Shlemenko | TKO (punches and elbows) | Shlemenko FC 10 | June 1, 2024 | 1 | 4:19 | Omsk, Russia | |
| Win | 22–9 (1) | Joel Bauman | Decision (split) | Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 | November 10, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Biloxi, Mississippi, United States | Bare knuckle MMA. |
| Win | 21–9 (1) | Sidiah Parker | Decision (unanimous) | Up Next Fighting 11 | September 2, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Burbank, California, United States | Defended the UNF Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 20–9 (1) | KB Bhullar | Decision (unanimous) | Unified MMA 50 | March 31, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Enoch, Alberta, Canada | |
| Win | 19–9 (1) | Salaiman Ahmadyar | TKO (punches) | Up Next Fighting 4 | January 28, 2023 | 1 | 4:55 | Commerce, California, United States | Won the UNF Middleweight Championship. |
| NC | 18–9 (1) | KB Bhullar | NC (accidental eye poke) | Unified MMA 46 | September 23, 2022 | 1 | 1:34 | Enoch, Alberta, Canada | Middleweight debut. Accidental eye poke rendered Bhullar unable to continue. |
| Loss | 18–9 | Jared Gooden | TKO (leg kick and punches) | XMMA 4 | April 2, 2022 | 2 | 0:16 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | |
| Loss | 18–8 | Magomed Magomedkerimov | Submission (Ezekiel choke) | PFL 5 (2021) | June 17, 2021 | 1 | 1:57 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 18–7 | Rory MacDonald | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PFL 2 (2021) | April 29, 2021 | 1 | 3:38 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 18–6 | Sabah Homasi | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 243 | August 7, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 18–5 | Moses Murrietta | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 238 | January 25, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 17–5 | Belal Muhammad | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 236 | April 13, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 17–4 | Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos | March 9, 2019 | 1 | 2:35 | Wichita, Kansas, United States | |
| Win | 17–3 | Siyar Bahadurzada | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 232 | December 29, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 16–3 | Max Griffin | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 226 | July 7, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 15–3 | Thiago Alves | KO (knee) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros | February 18, 2018 | 2 | 4:17 | Austin, Texas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–3 | Nick Barnes | KO (head kick) | LFA 30 | January 12, 2018 | 2 | 2:51 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 13–3 | Matthew Frincu | KO (head kick) | LFA 24 | October 13, 2017 | 1 | 0:38 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 12–3 | Kevin Holland | Decision (unanimous) | LFA 13 | June 2, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Burbank, California, United States | |
| Win | 11–3 | Johnny Cisneros | TKO (punches) | Bellator 170 | January 21, 2017 | 2 | 3:48 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 10–3 | Ozzie Alvarez | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 34 | August 25, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | Won the vacant Fight Club OC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–3 | Casey Greene | Decision (unanimous) | California Xtreme Fighting 3 | June 25, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Studio City, California, United States | Won the vacant CXF Welterweight Championship. |
| Loss | 8–3 | Eddie Mendez | Decision (unanimous) | Lights Out @ Sportsmen's Lodge: Fight Night 4 | October 23, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Studio City, California, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout. |
| Win | 8–2 | Steven Ciaccio | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 141 | August 28, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Fernando Gonzalez | Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 137 | May 15, 2015 | 3 | 1:14 | Temecula, California, United States | |
| Loss | 7–1 | Brennan Ward | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 134 | February 27, 2015 | 1 | 1:37 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | James Chaney | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 23 | October 16, 2014 | 1 | 0:48 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | Defended the Fight Club OC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–0 | Dominic Waters | Decision (split) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 21 | June 19, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | Won the vacant Fight Club OC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Johnny Mercurio | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 20 | April 17, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Alex Suhonosov | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 18 | December 5, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | J.C. Llamas | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 16 | August 15, 2013 | 3 | 3:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Blake Belshe | KO (punch) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 14 | April 11, 2013 | 1 | 0:34 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Paul Gemmati | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Club OC: Thursday Night Fights 13 | February 28, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | Welterweight debut. |

## Professional boxing record

| 3 fights | 3 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Ryan Ford | UD | 8 | May 26, 2023 | The Venue at River Cree, Alberta, Canada |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Ke-ali’i Kanekoa | KO | 2 (5), 2:25 | Apr 27, 2023 | The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, US |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | John Mercurio | KO | 2 (5), 3:00 | Feb 17, 2022 | The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, US |