The UFC release Chris Camozzi
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts
27 year old Chris Camozzi has been released from the UFC following his most recent loss to Rafael Natal, his 4 lost in a row. The Middleweight announced the decision earlier today on his blog:
A contestant on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, Camozzi entered the UFC in 2010 with wins over James Hammertree and Yang Dongi in his first two fight bouts for the promotion but was cut following a submission loss to Kyle Noke in his 3rd outing.Cuts are minor nuances that sometimes leave a scar as a reminder. They are not life changing and if you treat them the right way you can possibly learn how to avoid them in the future.
I knew this Natal fight was win or move on, probably for both of us. In my heart I felt like I had done enough to win. I left my UFC contract in the judges hands. They felt like I lost and getting cut is what comes with that decision. It is unfortunate that MMA judging and statistical fight analysis is so far off. Instead of looking back I am going to look forward, look forward to building my MMA career.
I am thankful the UFC gave me the opportunity to fight the best in the World. They treated me fair and gave me a lot of great experiences and the opportunity to meet some amazing MMA fans. At the end of the day I am a MMA fighter at heart. That means my future is not tied to being in the UFC. My future in MMA will continue. I am in the gym already working on all aspects of my fighting skills.
My coaches have helped me evolve into a more complete fighter. There are a lot of great Middleweights not in the UFC and I look forward to facing some of them. We get better through battles and I am always looking to do just that.
I can’t thank my sponsors enough, your commitment to me in and out of the cage has allowed me to realize my dreams and help others. I am honored to continue to represent you and thankful for all of your support.
To my fans, I promise you that I will train harder and continue to showcase the style and heart that you have come to expect from me. I will always keep coming forward and always go out on my shield. I can’t express how much you mean to me, your support and love make the hard days easier and the good days great.
Following the loss the to Noke, Camozzi fought just once at a domestic level defeating Greg Jackson veteran Joey Villaseñor before returning to the UFC.
Upon his return Camozzi dropped a decision loss to Francis Carmont, to close out 2011. Things picked up for the Californian in 2012 into early 2013 where he put together a run of 4 straight victories defeating Dustin Jacoby, Nick Cantone, Luiz Cané, and Nick Ring. This impressive run seen Camozzi promoted to the co-main event spot against Jacare Souza at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold when Souza's original opponent Costas Philippou pulled out injured. The former Strikeforce Middleweight champion would prove too much for Camozzi who lost by 1st round submission.
The loss to Souza was followed by losses to Lorenz Larkin, Bruno Santos and Rafael Natal which ultimately lead to his release. He leave the promotion with a 7-6 record.
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