Saturday night’s UFC on FOX main event may have only lasted just over a minute, but the quick end definitely sent shock waves throughout the mixed martial arts world.
In the UFC’s first event with its new broadcast partner, Junior dos Santos made quick work of Cain Velasquez, viciously knocking out the former Arizona State wrestler to become the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Now the consensus top heavyweight in the world, dos Santos also climbs the pound-for-pound rankings.
Looking at his undefeated UFC record, Velasquez is only the latest victim to fall prey to this dominating striker. Dos Santos has devastated some of the best in the division and should be considered one of the top fighters in the entire sport.
To take the top contender spot, dos Santos took on former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin. For three rounds, the Brazilian powerhouse got the better of Carwin in the stand-up department to take the unanimous decision victory.
Prior to that victory, dos Santos won another lopsided decision over the Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights winner Roy Nelson. Add his big finishes over Mirko Cro Cop, Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve and Gabriel Gonzaga, and dos Santos’ record looks very impressive.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is clearly the king in the pound-for-pound rankings, based off his record-breaking undefeated streak in the UFC and the number of dominating performances in multiple weight classes, usually ending in a finish.
It is not far-fetched to add dos Santos to possibly No. 4 or 5 in the sport.
For his near spotless record and just overall dominance in the Octagon, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre would be a logical choice for the second on the list.
Here is where it gets tricky.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones could definitely be ranked No. 3, as his insane, virtually unbeaten run has included some major wins for the young champion.
Running through a number of top contenders, Jones can now add two former Pride and UFC champions to his list with his finishes over Rampage Jackson and Shogun Rua.
However, dos Santos can be argued as the third-best fighter in MMA, as he does own more wins over bigger-named opponents than Jones.
And let’s not forget UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, whose heart and determination has solidified himself as the top lightweight with wins over BJ Penn and Gray Maynard.
Regardless, dos Santos is now a definite top champion in the sport and can only further raise his status should he defeat the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem bout.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for post-fight analysis of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight card. Also, be sure to check out our fight card hub page for news and opinion on the entire UFC on FOX fight.
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