The matchup pitting Cain Velazquez against Antonio Silva will steal the show from the heavyweight title bout between Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir.
Dos Santos is heavily favored to retain his title against Mir, and somehow the UFC promotional department has finagled us into thinking that this will be a close fight. This is not meant to defame Mir or take any credit away from his illustrious career, but he’s on the decline. Dos Santos, however, is the best fighter in the heavyweight class, posting a 14-1 record and knocking out 10 of his opponents.
Mir is surely a great fighter and he stands his best chance against JDS if he can take the fight to the ground. Dos Santos, however, is too intelligent of a fighter to let that happen. Not only is he too intelligent, he is going to use his boxing skills, and Mir’s weak chin, to keep his opponent at a distance and fight the way he wants to.
If Mir does try to go for a takedown, which he probably will, he’s going to be introduced to a Dos Santos’ fist to the chin, resulting in a knockout finish.
Dos Santos also has the power of momentum and confidence on his side, as he hasn’t lost in almost five years. Mir, on the other hand, took a beating from Shane Carwin back in March of 2010.
But enough bashing the Mir-Dos Santos matchup and on to talking up the Velasquez-Silva clash.
That fight will be the UFC debut of former Strikeforce fighter Antonio Silva. He’s largely a mystery to UFC fans, but that’s what makes this exciting. Back in February of 2011, he scored a victory over legend Fedor Emelianenko due to a doctor stoppage.
We’re looking at a fight between two of the biggest guys in the UFC. Velazquez stands at 6’1″, 249 pounds and Silva boasts a ridiculous 6’4″, 265-pound frame. Silva also has a five-inch reach advantage over Velazquez (82 inches to 77 inches). This is a more intriguing story than the Mir-JDS fight, as we’re looking at a guy coming from Strikeforce who is looking to make a name for himself in the UFC against a perennial contender.
Silva has a ridiculous chin, both in size and durability. It’s going to be interesting to see how Velazquez plays this, as he’ll probably want to keep the fight standing up as to avoid struggling against Silva’s impressive jiu-jitsu skills. But even if the two end up on the ground, Silva has his wrestling background to combat the jiu-jitsu.
My guess is that if Velazquez gets taken to the ground, he’s going to have a hard time getting out from under the gigantic Silva. It will be interesting to see if this first look at Silva in the UFC is the beginning of a career that will see him vault to the top of the heavyweight rankings.
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