Matheus Camilo sees Apex cage as advantage against Jai Herbert

Matheus Camilo seems to have identified an advantage ahead of UFC Vegas 122. The Brazilian lightweight will step inside the Octagon on Saturday confident that the smaller cage at the Meta Apex could work in his favor when he faces Jai Herbert. Camilo expects to use his pressure against the taller Englishman, who prefers to fight at distance, and believes the limited space will make it harder for Herbert to stay comfortable.

Matheus Camilo Plans to Pressure Jai Herbert

With a different style from his opponent, Camilo sees a favorable matchup against Herbert. While the Englishman prefers to control the distance with his striking, Camilo plans to pressure him and force him into uncomfortable situations. The Brazilian also believes the smaller cage at the UFC Apex could make a difference by limiting the space available for Herbert to move.

"I like the fight, it matches up well with my game," Camilo told Ag Fight. "He's a taller guy, but it's a fight that matches up well with my game. He's a striker, so I'm happy. He likes distance and I like to pressure. Since it's going to be at the Apex, with a small cage, he won't have anywhere to run. He likes a more measured game, but that's where I'm going to get him. I'm going to make him uncomfortable."

In fact, the cage at the UFC Apex is slightly smaller than the standard Octagon used by the promotion. While the standard arena cage measures 30 feet in diameter, the Octagon at the Apex measures 25 feet.

With that ace up his sleeve, Camilo is set to finish Herbert. The Brazilian highlighted his preparation for the matchup and pointed out that his striking power could make the difference if Herbert makes a mistake.

"I'm coming to finish," Camilo said. "I want to show once again who I am. I'm coming for the knockout, I want to knock him out. I've trained a lot, my hands are made of stone. I can't wait for us to fight. I want to show the whole division that I have hands of stone. If he makes a mistake, he's going down."

Matheus Camilo Surprised by UFC Vegas 122 Co-Main Event

Set to face Herbert in the co-main event at UFC Vegas 122, Camilo revealed he was surprised when he found out that his matchup would be in the spotlight. The Brazilian admitted he did not expect to receive such a prominent position in the card and is determined to make the most of the opportunity to show what he can do inside the Octagon.

"I was caught by surprise," Camilo said. "They called me for this fight and now they put me in the co-main event. I'm very happy about it. It was very good news. [...] They said, 'You're in the co-main event.' I was like, 'Seriously?' And they said, 'Seriously.' Then I was like, 'Wow, that's awesome.' I was very happy. It's another opportunity to show who I am. I was very happy. It's rare to see this, young fighters getting these opportunities."

Camilo enters the matchup riding a two-fight winning streak and will look to keep his momentum going. Herbert, meanwhile, is also coming off a victory after bouncing back in April with a TKO victory over Mandel Nallo.