UFC 131 Results See Junior dos Santos Rip Apart Shane Carwin, Can He Do The Same Against Cain Velasquez
Junior dos Santos has earned a date with destiny following a dominant performance against Shane Carwin at UFC 131. The man known as “Cigano” will challenge Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship later on this year, though the official date has yet to be determined. So what can we expect when these two goliaths step into the octagon with each other?
Dos Santos, traditionally, has been a one-dimensional fighter inside the octagon. He has great cardio and technical ability, but he just uses his boxing skills, which are outstanding, to beat his opponents into oblivion. Last night, however, he used a more well-rounded approach to fighting by using takedowns and leg kicks to wear Carwin down.
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To be fair, though, it’s not like dos Santos was able to do anything when he got Carwin down, but at least he showed he could take an opponent down.
Velasquez is the best all-around heavyweight in the world. In the past there were questions about his ability in the striking game, so he went out and knocked out the last two opponents he has faced – Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. His wrestling and stamina are fantastic, so working the ground and lasting for 25 minutes isn’t a problem for him.
I think that if this fight stays standing, dos Santos has a great chance of winning because he is so good with his hands and moving in and out. If the fight is up and down over the course of all five rounds, Velasquez has a distinct advantage in wrestling and grappling as well as submissions.
The Champion should go into the fight as the favorite, though he isn’t right now, and based on what I have seen from dos Santos, I would give Velasquez a slight edge to retain the title when these two lock horns later on this year.
–Published By Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells