“When I first got in the UFC, I was real young,” said the 29-year-old Camozzi, speaking with The Province on Wednesday morning. “I always say that I grew up in the UFC. I had a lot of fights coming in, but the experience you get with the UFC is crazy and now I’m getting older and I feel like I’ve got things figured out.
“I think it definitely made me re-examine a lot of stuff and get things figured out,” he said of his two brief return trips to the regional circuit, where he earned three wins in as many bouts between stints with the UFC. “All in all, it worked out for me. You can’t look back and have any regrets – you just learn from those experiences and that’s what I did and I think it’s paid off.”
“It’s a quick turnaround for me, but it was a no-brainer as soon as they sent me the name, asking me if I could fill-in for Brad Tavares; I said, ‘Of course,’” said Camozzi of facing Leites, a former middleweight title challenger currently stationed at No. 12 in the divisional rankings. “I’ve wanted to fight Thales for a while. I think he’s a solid competitor, but I’ve got everything to gain when I beat him. It’s onward and upward for me.”