Kamikaze ready to shine in England

Cariaso, left, will try to go 2-1 in the UFC this Saturday.

Nitesh Dutt

CSNBayArea.com

If one were to ask the casual Northern California fight fan if there were any regional connections to this weekend’s UFC 138 card in Birmingham, England they would most likely respond with Mark Munoz, who is taking on Chris Leben in the main event in a middleweight fight.

However, Munoz is not the only local tie to the Birmingham card. Bantamweight fighter Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso is also making the trek overseas to do battle and help give fans an idea about the depth of Nor Cal talent.

Fighting out of San Francisco’s Fight and Fitness, Cariaso is getting set for just his third UFC match. He is looking to rebound after a decision loss back in May and he is looking to do so in his first-ever fight overseas. Not only is Cariaso fighting somewhere he’s never fought before, but his opponent will likely have a slight advantage.

Cariaso is taking on Birmingham native and UFC newcomer Vaughan Lee in the bantamweight tilt. The match will take place as one of the un-aired prelims, but that doesn’t mean Cariaso is taking the match lightly.

“I am super excited to be fighting in England,” Cariaso told Inside the Cage. “Even though I am fighting a British fighter in his hometown. I want to put on a great fight and make England fans of me.”

A great showing in the prelims won’t only make England fans out of the SF fighter, but it could help make his case for more main card fights. At 11-3, another win could do wonders for Kamikaze and his growth in the UFC. A loss, however, could deal a setback to a promising UFC career.

Fans in Northern California might not get a chance to see Cariaso fight on live television, but UFC’s online option (Facebook) is just as good.

With Munoz headlining UFC 138 and Cariaso on the undercard, Northern California is well represented and it is very feasible that both come back with wins. We here at Inside the Cage will be paying close attention and we recommend you do too.

   

Follow me on Twitter at @NiteshDutt