Phil Hawes vs. Chris Curtis short-notice bout off of UFC Vegas 39

Phil Hawes and Chris Curtis will not compete Saturday night as originally announced.

MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Damon Martin confirmed with sources with knowledge of the news that Hawes has declined a middleweight bout with last-second replacement Chris Curtis, which was officially announced by the UFC at the official weigh-ins for Saturday’s UFC Vegas 39 card. Curtis was stepping in on a day’s notice for Deron Winn, who withdrew due to non-weight related health issues.

This was to be Curtis’ UFC debut. The 34-fight veteran has previously competed primarily at welterweight for several notable promotions, including the PFL, and was victorious in a June 2018 Contender Series appearance but was not awarded with a UFC contract. He is currently on a five-fight win streak.

Curtis successfully weighed in Friday morning at 184.5 pounds. As of this writing, Hawes has not showed up at the official weigh-ins, and with the fight apparently off, is not expected to.

Hawes has won seven straight fights and is unbeaten in his first three UFC appearances.