Chris Camozzi’s (blue trunks) powerful hands and submission skills have earned him 11 finishes out of 17 victories. A victory over Luiz Cane at UFC 153 could very well elevate Camozzi’s career to UFC main card status. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
The UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 153 this Saturday night and looks to yet again showcase some of the country’s premier MMA talent. Top Brazilian fighter and UFC Middleweight Champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (30-4) is the pinnacle focus of the main card as he moves up to light heavyweight to take on Season One Ultimate Fighter veteran “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (17-7) in the headlining bout of the evening. Bonnar proves time and time again to be a tough feat for anyone in the 205lbs. weight class so it will make for an interesting bout as he comes in as a 13-1 underdog against the man largely known as the greatest fighter of all time. In the co-main event, “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7) squares off against “Pee Wee” Dave Herman (21-4) in a match-up that will more than likely be a battle between Nogueira’s Jiu-Jitsu and Herman’s striking ability. Glover Teixeira (18-2) will trade leather with fellow Brazilian Fabio Maldonado (18-5) as both look to advance a rung of the 205lbs. division ladder. Former top welterweight contender Jon Fitch (26-4) looks to battle it out with prospect Erick Silva (14-2) in a classic match-up of wrestler versus striker. “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (9-1) will once again stand across from the undefeated “Caldeirao” Wagner Prado (8-0), now on the heels of their August meeting that ended in a No Contest after an inadvertent eye poke. Revving up the main card is a welterweight affair between dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Demian Maia (16-4) and “The Horror” Rick Story (14-5) as both fighters try to establish their place in the UFC’s stacked 170lbs. division. Before Pay-Per-View takes over for the night, FX and Facebook will present the preliminary card which can and often does boast at least one of the three performance bonuses doled out and reveals some of the promotion’s future top prospects. No stranger to the UFC undercards, Chris Camozzi (17-5) is a particularly promising candidate for main card status. Continue reading »
