Preview: UFC 322 Prelims

Lightweights

Matheus Camilo (9-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (8-6-1, 3-5-1 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Camilo (-174), Borshchev (+136)

A few weeks after his last fight was scrapped on late notice, Camilo lands this assignment in his sophomore effort in the UFC. Camilo found himself in the right place at the right time to earn a UFC roster spot in 2024. Undefeated prospect Dorobshokh Nabotov crashed a press conference to ask UFC CEO Dana White for a UFC contract and instead was matched up with Camilo for what was essentially a tryout match in Korea. Camilo wound up winning the fight, so he wound up earning a contract instead. That opportunity might have come a bit too early. Camilo is a solid athlete, but his approach still feels somewhat undercooked. Given the size or athletic advantages that Camilo often had on the regional scene, he was able to outlast and outwork opponents with a combination of control and opportunism. However, his UFC debut against Gabriel Green proved he can struggle against an opponent who is able and willing to press the issue and seize some opportunities himself.

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It is unclear where on that spectrum Borshchev falls, as “Slava Claus” has had a rough stretch in recent years. Borshchev came to the UFC in 2021 as the opposite of the usual Team Alpha Male mold, showing some crafty striking skills and knockout power while having little to offer on the ground. Borshchev has shored up his defensive wrestling to the point that it’s sometimes passable, but it does seem like rounding out his game while suffering some losses has also dulled his best tools. Borshchev doesn’t quite turn up the pace to the level that he did earlier in his career, and he’s still quite vulnerable to opponents who can storm him out of the gates. Camilo does potentially offer a blank slate for Borshchev to start stringing together some offense and get back on track, but this does look like a matchup where the Nova Uniao-Xtreme Couture product can slow things down and win a wrestling-heavy affair. The pick is Camilo via decision.

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