Author: Alex Ballentine

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva: Champion Shows He’s Most Dominant Heavyweight

After Cain Velasquez’s first-round TKO victory over Antonio Silva in their UFC 160 rematch, there should be no question that Velasquez is the most dominant heavyweight in MMA.Silva’s credentials to enter into such a fight were dubious at best. Just two…

After Cain Velasquez‘s first-round TKO victory over Antonio Silva in their UFC 160 rematch, there should be no question that Velasquez is the most dominant heavyweight in MMA.

Silva’s credentials to enter into such a fight were dubious at best. Just two fights removed from a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Velasquez, there wasn’t much indication that Silva was any more prepared to take on the well-rounded skills that the champion brings to the table.

Velasquez made sure that everyone knew he didn’t belong in the cage with him. After going for a takedown and failing early on, he went to his quick hands to send Silva to the ground where he followed up with some of his signature ground and pound.

It was a typical performance from Velasquez and one that led Bleacher Report’s MMA Lead Writer Jeremy Botter to say that there’s no heavyweight in the world that can unseat the champion:

 

It’s hard to argue his case.

Velasquez is simply a rare talent. Velasquez weighs in well below the 265-pound limit at 240, but he’s shown that he doesn’t lack for power at the lighter weight. It also gives allows him to be quicker than everyone and gives him better cardio than anyone in the division—not that he has to use it very often.

The first-round finish was his sixth since making his UFC debut back in 2008. Only four opponents have made it out of the opening frame and none of them were able to beat him.

Yes, the early TKO of Silva wasn’t a big surprise, but outside of Junior dos Santos, it’s about the average level of competition that Velasquez will see as the champion.

Even dos Santos, who will be the next challenger to the championship and is the only man to beat Velasquez, should be a heavy underdog to take the title. While dos Santos put him away with just one strike, Velasquez’s win was one-sided for a full 25-minute fight.

With a title defense out of the way and a dominant win on his resume over the No. 2 fighter in the division, Velasquez could be in the middle of a legendary title run.

The heavyweight division has been notorious for turnover at the top. No champion has defended the belt three consecutive times, but Velasquez seems like a safe bet to do just that.

If he can get the best of dos Santos once again, there aren’t many legitimate contenders in the division that have proven they can give him problems.

Velasquez could go down as the most dominant heavyweight champion in the history of the organization.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Forrest Griffin Announces Retirement at UFC 160 Press Conference

In a somewhat stunning announcement, Forrest Griffin announced that he is retiring from the UFC at the UFC 160 post-fight press conference.Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports tweeted out the news:At 33 years old, Griffin walks away from the sport with a 19-7 r…

In a somewhat stunning announcement, Forrest Griffin announced that he is retiring from the UFC at the UFC 160 post-fight press conference.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports tweeted out the news:

At 33 years old, Griffin walks away from the sport with a 19-7 record, but will always be remembered for his brief light heavyweight championship run and classic fight with Stephan Bonnar at the first-ever The Ultimate Fighter Finale.

Griffin captured the light heavyweight championship by defeating Rampage Jackson via unanimous decision in 2008.

The three-round war with Bonnar is widely considered a hallmark event in the UFC’s history and a reason for the organization’s success on cable television.

It was Griffin’s inability to put on the kind of fights that get fans out of their seats that he felt forced him to retire. After watching Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann’s epic fight in March, he felt that it might be time to hang it up.Among Griffin’s career accolades and achievements are five fight-of-the-night awards, the UFC light heavyweight championship, the first-ever The Ultimate Fighter championship and one submission-of-the-night award.

Dana White also mentioned that Griffin will have a position with the UFC as long as he wants to hang around:

Griffin last fought in July 2012 against Tito Ortiz in what was ironically promoted as The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s retirement fight. As it turns out, it was also the last time that fans will be treated to a Forrest Griffin appearance in the Octagon.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Velasquez vs Silva 2: Keys to Bigfoot Avenging His Loss in UFC 160 Main Event

After watching Antonio Silva receive a bloody beatdown in his UFC debut against Cain Velasquez, it was hard to imagine that he would ever be part of the heavyweight championship picture.Yet, here he is, fighting for the heavyweight championship—a…

After watching Antonio Silva receive a bloody beatdown in his UFC debut against Cain Velasquez, it was hard to imagine that he would ever be part of the heavyweight championship picture.

Yet, here he is, fighting for the heavyweight championship—against Velasquez no less.

Silva bounced back from his demoralizing loss in the most emphatic way possible. As Fightnomics points out, he came through with knockouts in back-to-back fights despite being the underdog in both bouts.

Against Velasquez, Silva once again faces long odds. Here’s what it will take to reverse them again.

 

Avoid Takedowns

This won’t be easy.

According to FightMetric, Velasquez completes more than six takedowns per 15 minutes, which is an incredible amount. Once he finds a way to drag opponents to the ground, the round (or fight) is usually over.

Velasquez will rain down strikes until he leaves his opponent completely exhausted or the ref comes in to stop the fight. Silva should know—he didn’t even make it past the first round with Velasquez on top of him in their first meeting.

However, the champ only completes 52 percent of his takedown attempts, so turning him away isn’t a completely lost cause.

Silva can’t afford to be put on his back.

 

Look for His Own Takedowns

One thing that Silva has on Velasquez is size. If he finds a way to put the champion on his back, he’ll offer a challenge that few have been able to bring to the champion.

Velasquez defends 88 percent of takedown attempts, but if Silva abandons takedowns entirely, it could be a short night. Even if Silva fails to complete his takedown attempts, they can at least allow him to clinch and wear down the champion.

Silva has impressive ground-and-pound in his own right. If he wants to reverse roles this time around, he’ll have to find a way to get Velasquez to the ground.

 

Swing for the Fences

There’s a reason that Velasquez is the champion and favorite here. He is supremely talented and holds every advantage over Silva.

The one thing that Silva has going for him, though, is power. Especially in the heavyweight division, power can be the great equalizer.

Velasquez hasn’t shown many holes in his game, but it’s fair to say that a case could be made that his chin is a bit suspect. After all, he originally lost the belt from just one well-landed punch from Junior dos Santos and was caught a few times by Cheick Kongo in their fight.

Silva can’t be afraid to let his hands go. His incredible knockout power got him this far, and he must rely on it against the champion.

Just one well-connected shot could shock the MMA world.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Junior Dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt: Key Questions Surrounding UFC 160 Co-Main Event

UFC 160 may be headlined by Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva, but the Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt co-main event is much more intriguing.We’ve seen Velasquez vs. Silva before. The champion battered Bigfoot en route to a first-round TKO, and there is…

UFC 160 may be headlined by Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva, but the Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt co-main event is much more intriguing.

We’ve seen Velasquez vs. Silva before. The champion battered Bigfoot en route to a first-round TKO, and there isn’t much to indicate that Silva can do much to make the rematch any more interesting.

Dos Santos vs. Hunt, however, offers plenty of intrigue. Dos Santos is the much more skilled fighter. His boxing is among the best in the UFC regardless of division, and he’s a former champion with only one loss in his time with the UFC.

Hunt, on the other hand, is just 9-7 in his career and relies on unsettling power to win fights. Dos Santos is the heavy favorite for good reason, but this is the heavyweight division. Anything can happen.

Here are the biggest questions surrounding the fight.

 

Can Mark Hunt Land the Big One?

On paper, dos Santos wins this one easily.

He uses his length really well, has power punching of his own to keep Hunt honest and holds pretty much every advantage you could think of over the stocky Hunt. But all it takes is one punch to change the dynamics of a fight.

After all, that’s how JDS won the title in the first place—one well-timed overhand right to Velasquez’s head.

Hunt has tremendous power and covers a lot of ground for his size. Dos Santos loves to stand and box with opponents and that’s a dangerous proposition. Can Hunt time up dos Santos and continue his magical run?

 

Will JDS Use His Jiu-Jitsu?

You wouldn’t know it from watching him fight, but dos Santos has a black belt in jiu-jitsu.

He usually prefers to stand up and bludgeon his opponents with his precision boxing, but this might be the time that he wants to put those ground skills to work.

To put it simply, Hunt’s submission defense is terrible. He’s been submitted six times in his 16 professional fights and even has a loss to Sean McCorkle by armbar—yes, Sean McCorkle.

While dos Santos has the ability to stand and box with anyone, the safest path to victory may be taking Hunt down and looking for the submission.

A submission victory would also show that dos Santos has added to his ground game. That would make a rematch with Velasquez much more intriguing.

 

Will Either Man Outshine Velasquez?

In all likelihood the winner of this fight is headed for a title fight against Cain Velasquez—unless the champ falters against Antonio Silva.

Regardless of what happens, the UFC hype machine will do a great job of selling the matchup, but will JDS or Hunt help them out?

Fighting directly before the champion can be a blessing or a curse for the future challenger. A great performance from either guy and they’ll look ready to take on Velasquez, a lackluster performance and there won’t be much momentum for the challenger. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Fight Card: Last-Minute Odds and Predictions for Marquee Fights

The UFC 160 fight card is littered with matchups that will shake up the championship landscape.From the first title defense in Cain Velasquez’s second title run to a No. 1 contender’s match in the lightweight division between T.J. Grant and Gray Maynar…

The UFC 160 fight card is littered with matchups that will shake up the championship landscape.

From the first title defense in Cain Velasquez’s second title run to a No. 1 contender’s match in the lightweight division between T.J. Grant and Gray Maynard, the results for Saturday’s biggest matchups will affect the immediate title picture in at least two divisions. 

As the pay-per-view approaches, so do the buzz and anticipation for the biggest fights on the card. Here’s a look at the full fight card and the latest odds for the biggest fights.

All odds via Bovada.

 

FX Prelims (8 p.m. EDT)

Mike Pyle (170) vs. Rick Story (169)

Dennis Bermudez (146) vs. Max Holloway (145) 

Colton Smith (170) vs. Robert Whittaker (171)  

Khabib Nurmagomedov (158.5) vs. Abel Trujillo (155) 

 

Main Card (10 p.m. EDT)

Cain Velasquez (240) vs. Antonio Silva (263)

Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Mark Hunt (264)

Glover Teixeira (205) vs. James Te-Huna (206)

Gray Maynard (156) vs. T.J. Grant (155)

Donald Cerrone (155) vs. K.J. Noons (156) 

 

Odds and Predictions

Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Antonio Silva

Odds: Velasquez -800, Silva +500 

When these two first met, Velasquez battered and bloodied “Bigfoot” with a barrage of elbows on the ground until the fight was stopped after three minutes and 36 seconds.

Since then, Velasquez turned in the best performance of his career, dominating former champion Junior dos Santos over the course of five rounds and earning the strap once again.

But Silva has improved too. He put away Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem in devastating fashion and has established himself as a legitimate UFC heavyweight.

Prediction: Velasquez via second-round TKO

Silva has improved, but he’s nowhere near Velasquez’s level. Expect Silva to survive a lopsided first round before the champion puts him away in the second via ground-and-pound.  

 

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Odds: dos Santos -450, Hunt +325

This one’s going to be fun.

Dos Santos and Hunt are two of the best power punchers in the UFC, and they’ll collide on Saturday night. The winner will most likely head for a title fight against the winner of Velasquez vs. Silva.

“Cigano” hasn’t fought since he lost a unanimous decision to Cain Velasquez, but he still maintains the No. 1 contender’s spot in the UFC’s media rankings.

Hunt brings in a four-fight win streak, which includes an impressive knockout victory over Stefan Struve.

Prediction: Dos Santos via unanimous decision

How do two sluggers with the power of dos Santos and Hunt go to decision? When dos Santos is too good of a boxer to get caught and Hunt is too tough to be taken out.

As great as dos Santos is, he wasn’t able to put away the always tough Roy Nelson, and this fight could play out the same way.

 

T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard

Odds: Grant +130, Maynard -160 

The winner of this bout is expected to become Benson Henderson’s next challenger for the lightweight title.

Grant is on a roll of late. He has four straight wins including an impressive first-round knockout of Matt Wiman in his last bout. His wins haven’t come against elite competition at 155, but his improvement has been noticed by Dana White and Co.

Maynard will be making his return to the Octagon for the first time in almost a year. After defeating Clay Guida by split decision in June 2012, he’s just one win away from returning to the title scene.

Prediction: Grant via third-round TKO

Maynard is the slight favorite here, but Grant’s momentum is no joke. Grant is a much better striker than Maynard, and he has had success against good grapplers recently. Maynard’s layoff could give Grant the edge he needs to pull off the upset.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Junior Dos Santos Will Book Trilogy with Cain Velasquez at UFC 160

Remember when Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight title only to have a determined Velasquez come back from the defeat better than ever and reclaim the title?Dos Santos does. And at UFC 160, he’ll look to book his own…

Remember when Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight title only to have a determined Velasquez come back from the defeat better than ever and reclaim the title?

Dos Santos does. And at UFC 160, he’ll look to book his own road to redemption.

Last time we saw dos Santos, it wasn’t pretty. Velasquez simply put on the best performance of his career and took the title in convincing fashion. From the outset, he was aggressive, stayed busy and just overwhelmed Cigano.

It would be understandable if folks didn’t think that dos Santos was on the same level. But the fact remains that dos Santos is one of the elite heavyweights in the organization.

At UFC 160, he’ll remind everyone of that by ending the incredible run of Mark Hunt.

Hunt enters the fight with more momentum that just about anyone in the division. With a four-fight win streak to his name and a No. 9 ranking in the UFC’s official media rankings, he believes he’s deserving of a title shot if he can beat dos Santos.

Whereas Hunt is hoping that the groundswell of support he gets as a fan favorite and recent success will net him a title shot, dos Santos has already been told he’ll be the next challenger if he gets past Hunt.

The Super Samoan isn’t a joke. He’s a rotund brawler with the knockout power to put anyone away and enough toughness to hang in the pocket with a tough striker. That’s why dos Santos will look all the more impressive when he puts his impressive boxing on display.

Hunt’s run has been fun—who doesn’t love a big man that routinely sends opponents careening off the canvas with massive punches? But dos Santos will show that he’s ready to set up the epic rubber match that will be Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III.

After dos Santos’ electric knockout of Velasquez in the first fight and the former’s thorough domination the second time around, it should be a great matchup.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com