Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defeated No. 1 contender Junior Dos Santos via TKO in the fifth round in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 166 pay-per-view from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Once again, it was Velasquez’s ability to apply constant pressure that ensured he remain atop the UFC’s heavyweight division. He survived some early blows from dos Santos in Round 1 before settling into a game plan that involved slowly wearing down his opponent against the cage.
Velasquez nearly finished the fight in the third frame when he landed a strong overhand right to dos Santos’ jaw. Referee Herb Dean refrained from stopping the bout at that point, but it turned out he was only delaying the inevitable.
The champion continued dominating the bout in the fourth and finished off the challenger in the fifth and final round.
This was the third fight in the duo’s longstanding feud—dos Santos won the first matchup and Velasquez regained the title in their second meeting—and the perfect culmination of an intense heavyweight rivalry.
Velasquez and dos Santos have always matched up well because neither is a typical heavyweight fighter. With each possessing elite speed and stamina—attributes bigger fighters typically lack—this trilogy has been everything fans hoped for and more.
It was clear once again that Velasquez was the better volume striker over the course of this fight, but dos Santos’ raw power and striking ability were once again on showcase. While this rubber match will likely be the last in this feud, another chapter down the road would surely have the support of MMA fans.
Now that Velasquez has beat dos Santos again and eliminated him from title contention for the time being, the natural question now becomes who the champion will fight next.
After a fierce battle between Daniel Cormier and Roy Nelson earlier in the night—Cormier defeated Nelson via decision—the next fight for Velasquez could come against Cormier. However, D.C. has made it clear that he intends to drop down to the light heavyweight division, making the next logical opponent Brazilian Fabricio Werdum.
With dos Santos looking for a chance to bounce back, JDS should take on a top 10 opponent to get back into the championship conversation.
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