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.
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