Bantamweight bout: Chico Camus (+185) vs Kyung Ho Kang (-200) Fight Breakdown: The Facebook prelims portion of UFC 164 features a match-up between two talented grapplers in the bantamweight division, as Milwaukee’s own Chico Camus takes on the Korean Kyung Ho Kang. Camus is currently the underdog at +185 ($100 to win $185), while Kang is the favorite at -200 ($200 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. CHICO CAMUS (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is making his third trip to the Octagon and with a .500 record. He could very well receive his walking papers with a loss here. Camus is fighting out of his hometown of Milwaukee, WI., where he resides and trains out of Roufusport under the tutelage of Duke Roufus, with fighters like Erik Koch, Anthony Pettis, Pascal Krauss, and Ben Askren as training partners. Camus gets the best training he possibly can, as he gets in the mix with literally the best strikers and grapplers on the planet. Chico Camus has very good wrestling skills, as he likes to use his wrestling to control his opponents. In fact, his wrestling was the decisive factor in his Decision win over Dustin Pague in his UFC debut. Camus has decent boxing skills; his striking improves a bit from fight to fight, as he constantly works at it in the gym. His conditioning is usually on point, so I think he can push through fifteen minutes without badly gassing, especially considering all the energy he is going to have to spend against another talented grappler in Kyung Ho Kang. KYUNG HO KANG (11-6-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) returns for his second UFC bout after losing a Decision to Alex Caceres in China nearly six months ago, the result of which was later turned into a No Contest because Caceres tested positive for having Marijuana metabolites in his system, thus removing the blemish from Kang’s record. Kang is a very talented grappler who possesses great takedowns and makes excellent transitions. He is dominant from the top position, as he is a threat with submissions and loves to nail down powerful shots. Kang is a dangerous opponent to have in your guard. He has decent judo skills and is a good striker; Kang is one of the lighter-weight training partners of Korea’s UFC welterweight, “Stun Gun”. He has been dropped several times and knocked out once, but generally has a decent chin. Kang fights a fast pace and has solid cardio, so he is game for a three round fight. Fight Prediction: I think both fighters will come out the gate strong and look to take control of the fight. Camus will want to stand up with Kang and box with him, in hopes of catching him on the chin, but I don’t think he will succeed, and will ultimately decide to turn to his wrestling, where he will find some success. He will be able to score a takedown or two but won’t be able to do much with them, as I believe Kang will be more active from the bottom position than Camus will be from on top. I expect a back and forth, fast-paced, exciting fight from these two bantamweight, and I think there’s a good chance this one doesn’t make it to the judges scorecards. Gabe’s Pick: Kyung Ho Kang by Submission (Rear Naked Choke, 3:09 round 2) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Kyung Ho Kang -200 to silence the Milwaukee crowd.
