UFC Fight Night 57 fight card: Chico Camus vs Brad Pickett fight preview

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweights Chico Camus and Brad Pickett look to make their mark on the division this Saturday (Nov. 22, 2014) at UFC Fight Night 57 inside the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Camus, despite routinely being undersized, had quite a bit of success in the UFC's bantamweight division. Even when outmatched, Camus put on gutsy performances and often came closer to victory than expected.

Pickett is looking to show that he's still an elite fighter in the flyweight division. He may have won his debut over Neil Seery, but it was far from the impressive showing most expected against the then-unknown Irishman. Afterward, he was clearly beaten by Ian McCall, putting a damper on his immediate title plans.

Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each man.

Chico Camus

Record: 13-5 (1)

Key Wins: Alpetkin Ozkilic (LFC 52), Dustin Pague (UFC 150)

Key Losses: Chris Holdsworth (UFC 173), Dustin Kimura (UFC 156)

Keys to Victory: Camus is a scrappy kickboxer with some well-rounded ground skills. He's not a potent finisher, but that may change now that he's at his proper weight class.

In this bout, Camus will have the speed advantage he's grown accustomed to at bantamweight, as Pickett is basically a drawn out bantamweight and was not a quick fighter prior to the weight cut either. Frankly, Pickett's decision to drop to flyweight is questionable at best, and Camus has a chance to capitalize on that decision.

Camus should do his best to keep this a kickboxing bout. His in-and-out style of striking should work well against Pickett, who basically just chases his opponent around the Octagon and wings hooks if his opponent won't plant his feet and trade. So long as Camus uses his movement, he should be able to out-point the Englishman.

In addition, frequent movement will help Camus avoid Pickett's double leg, which "One Punch" will turn to if he continually whiffs on his punches. Since Camus will be moving often, Pickett will have a hard time lining up his shot.

It's also quite important that Camus does not initiate grappling exchanges. For whatever reason, Camus will shoot for takedowns despite being in control of the striking. It got him caught in a submission against Dustin Kimura, and Pickett definitely has the jiu-jitsu to capitalize on this habit.

Brad Pickett

Record: 24-9

Key Wins: Yves Jabouin (UFC on FUEL TV 5), Mike Easton (UFC on FUEL TV 9)

Key Losses: Ian McCall (UFC Fight Night 46), Michael McDonald (UFC Fight Night 26)

Keys to Victory: Despite his "One Punch" moniker, Pickett is actually an excellent wrestler with dangerous submission skills. That's not to say he cannot punch with power, but Pickett sometimes gets away from his strengths in favor of an all-out brawl.

In order to defeat Camus, Pickett needs to really focus on cutting off the cage. He's simply not quick enough to chase Camus down.

Unless Camus fights dumb, which is always an option.

Still, Pickett should plan for his opponent at his best. If Pickett lets Camus bounce in and out with strikes, he'll likely find himself on the wrong end of another decision loss, similar to his fight against McCall.

Not only willing trapping Camus against the fence increase his ability to land heavy punches, but it will make the takedown much easier. The advantage of Pickett's drop in weight is that he should be physically stronger than most of his opponents, and Camus is no exception.

Though Camus is tough, he's not on the same level as Pickett in terms of submission grappling. If Pickett can drag him to the mat, he'll have success controlling the Wisconsin-native and possibly even submit him.

Bottom Line: Though neither man is anywhere close to the title, this bout will likely determine which man is a UFC-level flyweight. This will be Camus' first bout in the division, while Pickett's performances in this weight class have been uninspired.

Should Camus win, there are plenty of exciting match ups in the division for Camus. "King" is a fairly aggressive fighter that's good for a back-and-forth scrap that can provide plenty of entertainment if matched up correctly.

A loss could mean the end of the Camus' current UFC run. I personally think he should be afforded another chance at flyweight, but he'd be winless in his last three bouts since the Meza victory was overturned due to marijuana. Plus, Pickett is hardly lighting the world on fire.

For Pickett, this should be his do-or-die fight at flyweight. If Pickett wins, then he can continue plugging away at the division and potentially work his way back into the UFC rankings.

Otherwise, Pickett needs to return to bantamweight. In that division, he was not a title contender, but he isn't here either. Back at 135 pounds, Pickett had the energy to put on exciting brawls, occasionally win them, and earn extra bonuses.

At UFC FIght Night 57, Chico Camus and Brad Pickett will fight for their spot in the flyweight division. Which man's trip to 125 pounds will be successful?