UFC 133 Preview: The Prelims
Natal vs. Bradley
Rafael Natal (left) seeks his first Octagon win in three tries
at UFC 133. | Photo: Peter Lockley
Middleweights
Rafael Natal (12-3-1, 0-1-1 UFC) vs. Paul Bradley (18-2, 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
The Matchup: Bradley debuts in the UFC after an aborted run on Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where he was forced to leave the show after a contagious skin condition was revealed. He has finished his last five opponents and took this fight on short notice after Constantinos Philippou moved into a main card bout against Jorge Rivera.
Natal -- a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who trains with Renzo Gracie -- has not yet tasted victory inside the Octagon, losing a decision to Rich Attonito and settling for a draw with Jessie Bongfeldt after opening strong in the first two rounds.
The Pick: This is Bradley’s fight to lose. With an edge in wrestling -- he was a two-time All-American at the University of Iowa -- he will be motivated and ready to hammer out a decision.
Jason Probst can be reached at [email protected] or twitter.com/jasonprobst.
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