Press Release – LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC 160 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for UFC 160: VELASQUEZ VS. BIGFOOT 2. The show was hosted by Jon Anik, with UFC bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and light heavyweight Chael Sonnen offering analysis. Ariel Helwani conducted fighter interviews on-site.
UFC 160 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Chael Sonnen on Cain Velasquez beating Bigfoot Silva: “I think that anyone who saw this fight, saw it going this way. What was really surprising was that Bigfoot stopped a takedown. It was equally as big a surprise that Velasquez got the shot and knocked him out.”
UFC 160 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Dominick Cruz on how Velasquez won the fight: “The takedown threat and the speed were the difference. Cain moves like he’s 100 pounds lighter. He’s just so fast.”
Cain Velasquez on his game plan in the fight: “His game plan was to stay on the feet. Mine was to keep moving, go up with the punches and down with the takedowns.”
Velasquez on if he was thinking about defending his title going into the fight: “I wasn’t thinking about the fight that way. I knew what I had to do – get the win, not defend the belt. I just wanted to get the win.”
Velasquez if he thinks dos Santos earned another shot at the title and where he’d want to fight: “I think he fought a good fight. It makes sense to fight him next. I’d like to see the fight in Texas or maybe Mexico.”
Sonnen on who Velasquez should fight next: “I want to see Josh Barnett fight JDS. I want to see the winner of Werdum versus Nogueira fight Cain for the title.”
Cruz on how Junior dos Santos defeated Mark Hunt: “The jab was biggest tale of this fight. Dos Santos made slight adjustments when Hunt started to duck, that set up the overhand right. It was really Junior dos Santos’ speed and power that were too much for Mark Hunt.”
Sonnen on dos Santos not using his ground game against Hunt: “He went for one takedown and he got it and he dominated. He should have gone after it more. But he made up with it with the kick, which was the knockout of the night, and maybe of the year.”
Cruz on how dos Santos set up his fight against Hunt: “The big difference was the jab. He used the jab to establish the range. Junior did get a takedown and it helped to offset the rhythm. You have to set up with boxing, then add the takedowns. It was beautiful. The timing was amazing. He had 45 seconds left in the fight, so why not throw a haymaker at the end.”
Junior dos Santos on his kick that knocked out Hunt: “I never felt very confident to do that before, but I trained for it in the gym. Today I felt way faster than him, so I tried it and was amazing. It wasn’t very well connected, so when he went down, I enjoyed it.”
Dos Santos on why he didn’t take Hunt down more: “He’s very dangerous in the standup, but I trusted my hands. I came there to knock him out. I believe I can knock out anyone.”
Dos Santos on if he was nervous before the fight: “I was a little more nervous than usual, but I trained so hard. I got prepared and I spent too much money training, so I had to do my best.”
Dos Santos on if he wants to fight Velasquez for the title next: “I feel like I deserve it. I want it so bad. I really believe I can be the champion again and I’m one of the best in the division and I can stay on top of this division for sure.”
UFC President Dana White on Cain Velasquez’s performance: “I think Cain is the best heavyweight in the world.”
White if Velasquez will fight dos Santos next: “It’s a no brainer. I’d love to see the fight in Mexico. We have a lot of options that we’re looking at.”
White on if TJ Grant will fight Benson Henderson for the title next: “Yes, but I don’t know when.”
Glover Teixeira on fighting in front of his idol, Mike Tyson: “I told Mike Tyson I’m his biggest fan. When I was 13 years old I would get up and hide from my dad to watch him fight. Yesterday I told him I watched his highlights before fighting and that’s what motivates me.”
Teixeira on fighting Jon Jones: “I’ll be happy to get back in the Octagon as soon as possible. If they’re having trouble finding an opponent for Jon Jones, I’m here.”
Sonnen on Teixeira: “You’re ranked in the top ten, you have not only not beat a top ten, you’ve never even fought a top-ten guy. You are very good, and you’re very over-ranked.”
Cruz on Teixeira potentially fighting Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis: “Mr. Wonderful could test out that black belt. I’m not going to lie. He mixes his submissions in with his wrestling, his striking is getting better. He creates a real problem for Teixeira.”
TJ Grant on his game plan against Gray Maynard: “He doesn’t move his feet a lot and that’s really something you can expose on a guy like that. He’s a warrior. I expected a hell of a fight. He hit me with some good shots.”
Grant on going for the title fight: “Hey, let’s do it in Canada. There’s a show in Toronto. But it’s up to UFC, and I’m doing what they tell me.”
Sonnen on Forrest Griffin announcing retirement: “Forrest Griffin is now Forrest Quittin’ and Dana White’s giving him a job, so now I guess he’s Forrest Gifted. But the bottom line is this, Forrest thank you. Thank you for getting us on the map, thank you for that awesome fight, 50 percent of it was Stephon Bonner, but thank you for winning the world championship, all of the memories, always being funny and always being a personable, fan-friendly guy. Congrats.”
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