FanPost

UFC 127 preview: Chris Camozzi vs Kyle Noke

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 veterans Kyle Noke and Chris Camozzi will look to continue their climb up the promotion's middleweight ladder when they face off on the main card of  UFC 127: "Penn vs. Fitch," which will air live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2011.

Camozzi suffered a fractured jaw during TUF and had to withdraw from the competition, while Noke was defeated in the quarterfinals by eventual tournament runner-up Kris McCray via unanimous decision.

Since then, both Camozzi and Noke have maintained perfect records (2-0, respectively) inside the Octagon.

Which former TUF contestant will emerge victorious this weekend -- Will Noke's devastating knockout power lead him to victory or will the grappling prowess of Chris Camozzi shine "Down Under?"

We'll find out soon enough (10 p.m. ET on Saturday, to be precise). In the meantime, here is a quick preview of the upcoming action when Camozzi and Noke do battle on the PPV main card.

Check it out:

Chris Camozzi

Record:  14-3 overall, 2-0 in the UFC

Key Wins: James Hammortree (TUF 11 Finale), Dongi Yang (UFC 121), Chad Reiner (King of Champions – Rage)

Key Losses: Jesse Forbes (MFC 15), Jesse Taylor (King of Champions)

How he got here: Winner four of his last five bouts, Camozzi trains out of MTX MMA in Lakewood, Colo., alongside former foe and UFC veteran Jesse Forbes.  At TUF 11 Finale, Camozzi managed to prove his worth inside the Octagon with a unanimous decision victory over James Hammortree. Camozzi most recently earned a tough split decision victory over one of the hottest Korean prospects in MMA, Dongi Yang, back at UFC 121.

How he gets it done: Even though the 24-year-old Camozzi has only won five of his 14 bouts via submission, he needs to make this fight a grappling match. Noke showed in his TUF bout against Kris McCray that his takedown defense still leaves something to be desired. If Camozzi can tie up Noke in the clinch and take him down to the canvas, he will likely win a decisive victory either via sub or ground and pound.

Kyle Noke

Record:  18-4-1 overall, 2-0 in the UFC

Key Wins:  Rob Kimmons (UFC 122) Josh Bryant (TUF 11 Finale), Brian Ebersole (XFC 12),  George Sotiropoulos (Warriors Realm 4)

Key Losses: George Sotiropoulous (Warriors Realm 5), Scott Smith (Elite XC – Street Certified)

How he got here:  Coming off the loss on TUF to Kris McCray, Greg Jackson pupil Kyle Noke got back on the horse (so to speak) and dismantled fellow Team Liddell member Josh Bryant. Noke was able to follow the win over Bryant by showcasing his ever-improving ground game against Rob Kimmons, where he won via rear-naked-choke in round two back at UFC 122.

How he gets it done: Noke will need to utilize his defensive grappling prowess to scramble and or stuff the takedown of Camozzi. Camozzi is known to stand a bit to tall and doesn’t really tuck his chin. If Noke utilizes his boxing to get inside on the bigger Camozzi, the fight could end within the first round.

Fight "X-Factor:" Noke has drastically improved his ground game under the guidance of Greg Jackson. If Camozzi can’t establish a grappling match with him on top, it’s very hard to see him getting a victory.

Bottom line: Both men really need this victory if they plan on getting bigger fights in the UFC. A poor showing here could easily mean a pink slip at this point with how many fighters that have already been released. I like Noke in this fight because of his vastly improved grappling and Camozzi’s striking (or lack thereof). However, never count out "Kamikaze" because of his sheer size and grappling prowess.

Who will emerge victorious at UFC 127? Let your voice be heard and vote on Camozzi vs. Noke.

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