UFC 158 (Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz)- Nick Ring vs. Chris Camozzi Preview, Prediction, Breakdown

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Nick Ring (13-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Chris Camozzi (18-5, 5-2 UFC)

Nick Ring and Chris Camozzi score a slot on the night’s main card as both have had solid outings in their recent octagon appearances. Ring has won three of four fights in the UFC, but he could easily be just 1-3 in that span. Ring is coming off another controversial win, this time over Court McGee at UFC 149 in July. Despite the controversial wins, Ring has just one loss in his career with a 4-1 mark over his last five. Camozzi comes in riding a three-fight win streak and is 4-1 over his last five fights as well. Camozzi last fought in October where he scored a unanimous decision win over Luiz Cane at UFC 153.

Fight Breakdown- Ring certainly keeps people on the edge of their seats, not neccessarily due to his fighting style, but because he wins fights that maybe he shouldn’t have. He was outstruck significantly by McGee, yet took home the decision. Camozzi should keep that in the back of his mind and fight to score the finish as Ring seems to get the judges’ favor most of the time. Ring has solid striking, and is accurate with his punches and kicks, but he leaves himself open for counters, and that is where his opponents have scored points the most. Camozzi has solid muay Thai and mixes his strikes well, and he likes to attack with leg kicks.

Ring should be looking to take the fight to the mat where he will have the considerable advantage. Camozzi has been working with the likes of Chael Sonnen in recent months, so working on his takedowns and takedown defense should show some improvement. Camozzi is also solid with his submissions and he could catch Ring with a guillotine if Ring is unable to get solid top position. Camozzi has yet to attempt a takedown in any of his UFC fights, but that looks to potentially change with this fight, as he will need to find ways to score points.

Both have kickboxing backgrounds which makes the likelihood of this fight playing out on the feet much higher. Camozzi will need to attack early and often to leave no doubt in the judges’ mind that he won the fight. Ring will need to use his solid boxing skills and mix in the takedowns to take home the win. Both have good conditioning and can go the full distance without problems as both train at high altitudes. This could be a kickboxing battle, but Ring’s ground ability gives him a slight edge in a pick-’em fight.

Why It Matters- Ring needs to score a win that doesn’t bring out controversy. He has just one stoppage win in the UFC and is looking to start a new win streak against Camozzi. Ring may never work his way to title contention, but he is a sleeper in the division with his skillset. Ring would like to keep his losses at a minimum and work his way to bigger fights, and a win certainly helps that.

Camozzi is a darkhorse in the UFC’s middleweight division, and a four-fight win streak would be super impressive in the division. Camozzi needs to score a stoppage win as Ring tends to get favorable decisions when fights go the distance. Camozzi has the chance to break out with a win, which could net him a much bigger fight his next time out.

Prediction- Ring

Ryan Frederick has been a diehard mixed martial arts fan since he saw UFC 1 at the age of 7. Since then he has yet to miss a show. He also has loves for football, baseball and fine whiskey. He fell in love with covering MMA after having also covered baseball and football, both professional and college, while working towards a journalism degree at Texas Christian University. His work has been seen on FOXSports.com, InsideFights.com, WrestlingObserver.com, Bleacher Report and ToughTalkMMA.com.