UFC 138 Fight Card: Chris Cariaso Looking to Earn Respect in Enemy Territory

Competing against Englishman and UFC newcomer Vaughan Lee, Chris Cariaso will likely be fighting in front of more than 10,000 fans who want to see him lose at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England.

While Lee would appear to be at an advantage by fighting in his home country, Cariaso feels that first-time Octagon jitters will have an effect on his opponent this Saturday. While Lee will be making his debut in the world's premier MMA organization, Cariaso has now fought under Zuffa management on several occasions.

"Everyone has that big-show nervousness," Cariaso told Bleacher Report. "Just walking out to the weigh-ins is a spectacle in itself. That's definitely going to play a role. I've been in the WEC and the UFC. This is going to be my fifth fight with them, so I'm definitely going to use my experience against him."

Cariaso doesn't expect to walk away with a victory on experience alone, though. Having learned from his first UFC loss in a closely-contested bout with Michael McDonald, Cariaso plans to use more of his wrestling ability en route to a win at UFC 138.

"I thought I did enough [to win against McDonald]," Cariaso said. "It just kind of depends on what fight you were watching. At the end of the day—woulda, shoulda, coulda—I wish I could have used a little bit more of my grappling and wrestling. That's kind of one of the things I've been working on now."

"[Lee] is a good fighter, he's aggressive, he's strong. I think that, stylistically, we're going to have a great fight," Cariaso said of his upcoming matchup. "I think that my grappling and wrestling game is top-notch. I think that, wherever the fight goes, I'm ready for him."

If Cariaso's grappling was where it needed to be in his most recent fight, then it certainly should be after he decided to take his training camp to Tristar Gym. The gym, which is home to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, is producing some of the most promising up-and-coming fighters in the sport.

Much like Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, Cariaso is a smallish bantamweight, so he will need to be technically sound in all aspects to make up for what he lacks in size. However, Cariaso might not have to deal with a size advantage for long, as the UFC plans to introduce a flyweight division in 2012.

"I really don't have to cut weight to make 135," Cariaso said. "If they ever do have 125, I think I'm definitely going to find my home there. Right now, 135 is my home and I'm just going to be fighting there."

Despite giving McDonald—a highly-regarded, up-and-coming fighter—everything he could handle, Cariaso has not been getting much attention heading into UFC 138. While part of that has to do with Cariaso's placement on the preliminary card, a bigger reason for the lack of respect Cariaso has received may be due to the lack of recognition the bantamweight division has received in its first year under the UFC banner. 

"We're still new to the UFC," Cariaso said. "Hardly anybody even knows that the UFC even has a 135-pound division. I think—as it starts getting bigger and they start getting the 135-pound guys more primetime slots—until then, we're not going to get the credit we deserve."

Until then, Cariaso will look to earn the respect of fans by picking up one win at a time, even if those wins must come in enemy territory.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com, LowKick.com and TheMMACorner.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.