UFC 173 Date: May 24, 2014 Arena: MGM Grand Garden Arena City: Las Vegas, NV Bantamweight bout: Chico “King” Camus (+280) vs Chris “Holds it Down” Holdsworth (-340) Fight Breakdown: The FOX Sports 1 preliminary card for UFC 173 will feature a bantamweight scrap between Milwaukee’s Chico “King” Camus and California’s Chris “Holds it Down” Holdsworth. Camus is the underdog in this contest at +280 ($100 to win $280), with Holdsworth being the favorite at -340 ($340 to win $100) Several Bookmakerss. Chico “King’ Camus (14-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is set to make his fifth appearance inside the Octagon, coming off a unanimous decision victory over MMA Lab product Yaotzin Meza nearly four months ago. The former-Duke Roufus trained fighter has left the camp and no longer trains with Milwaukee’s elite fighting team, though he has admitted that he wishes he can patch things up and return to his home. The 29-year old is a talented grappler who uses his wrestling to control opponents on the mat. His boxing is average, though it is worth noting that he shows slight improvements in his stand-up from fight to fight, though that may no longer be the case, as he is no longer putting hours in at the gym with Duke Roufus, Erik Koch, and the Pettis brothers. Roufus said that the camp parted ways with Camus because of his lack of dedication to training. I would hope that is no longer a problem for him, because Holdsworth is not an opponent you want to train lightly for. The Milwaukee native has good cardio, even if he may not put all the hours in at the gym that he needs to, so I expect him to have enough in the tank for three rounds of action, though that is not a guarantee, considering he has yet to face an opponent who attacks with the level of offensive pressure Holdsworth brings. Chris “Holds it Down” Holdsworth (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is coming off a second round submission victory over “Dangerous” Davey Grant, a win which earned him the title of The Ultimate Fighter season 18 winner. The native of Van Nuys, CA is a very talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner who is a legitimate threat on the mat, regardless of whether he’s on top or in the bottom position. He has a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu logo tattooed on his shoulder and wears it proudly, as Jiu-Jitsu is his biggest passion in life. Holdsworth works good takedowns, and once on the mat, it is his world. On top of his three submission victories on the reality series, all four of his official wins are also by way of tapout. Usually when a fighter is as talented of a grappler and submission artist as Holdsworth is, he tends to lack in the striking department. That is not the case with him. He has sharp boxing and kickboxing, and moves well on the feet. He has good footwork, and works a solid jab. Not only is Holdsworth a threat on the mat, but he is also dangerous on the feet. Training out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, C.A., he has some of the best lighter weight training partners on the planet in Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Joe Benavidez, Danny Castillo, TJ Dillashaw, and Lance Palmer, amongst others. The TUF 18 winner has a good chin, and a big heart to go with it. He is a fighter I do not see quitting under any circumstance, he will always leave it all in the cage. He has never seen a third round in his professional mixed martial arts career, but should the fight hit the third frame or even go the 15 minute distance, I expect his cardio to be on check for it. Gabe’s Prediction: To put it simply, I think Holdsworth is going to finish Camus. It will most likely be via submission, but I think there is a good chance he may earn the first T/KO stoppage of his professional mixed martial arts career. Gabe’s Call: Holdsworth by T/KO (strikes, 0:50 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Chris Holdsworth (-340) parlayed with Al Iaquinta (-365) for -155 7.4u to win 4.8u
