I know I am a few days late, but with two young kids my weekends are getting busier and busier. UFC 131 is over and done with. Another successful Canadian show put on by the UFC, you have to love the Canadian fans they really get into each and every fi…
I know I am a few days late, but with two young kids my weekends are getting busier and busier. UFC 131 is over and done with. Another successful Canadian show put on by the UFC, you have to love the Canadian fans they really get into each and every fight.
The main event was very surprising as I am not sure there are too many people who felt that Carwin and Dos Santos would make it out of the first round. It almost didn’t as Dos Santos has Carwin on the ropes and was punching the holy hell out him, but much like his fight against Lesnar where Josh Rosenthal gave Brock an opportunity to recover, Herb Dean paid Carwin the same respect and was proven right when Carwin battled on.
So we know where Dos Santos is headed and that is a showdown with UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez as soon as the the champ is fully recovered from shoulder surgery. Other than that there are no set matchups for the other nine fighters who fought on the main card.
Let’s take a look and see what makes sense for the rest of them.
UFC 131 Results: Shane Carwin Treated in Emergency Room Following UFC 131 LossBleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:After picking up his second straight loss at UFC 131, Shane Carwin was transferred to a nearby hospital to undergo further evaluation on his in…
UFC 131 Results: Shane Carwin Treated in Emergency Room Following UFC 131 Loss
Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:
After picking up his second straight loss at UFC 131, Shane Carwin was transferred to a nearby hospital to undergo further evaluation on his injuries suffered during his bout with Junior dos Santos.
According to MMAWeekly.com, Carwin’s manager, Jason Genet, wrote via Twitter that Carwin had suffered a broken nose and three deep cuts, along with having to undergo a CT scan.
While it was no surprise that Dos Santos was the superior striker, Carwin showed tremendous heart throughout the entire bout. The 250-pound Colorado native was knocked down early in the first round by the Brazilian, and appeared to be defeated, but he would continue to fight and remain in the bout.
Due to technical difficulties, Falling Action comes to you a day later than usual, and for that we apologize.
But as long as you haven’t pushed all recollection of UFC 131 out of your mind in order to make room for the beautiful new memories you made on Sunday and Monday – in other words, as long as you have greater brain capacity than a golden retriever – we figure most of you ought to still be able to enjoy a thorough discussion of this past weekend’s winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
We knew the big Brazilian could box even before he turned Shane Carwin’s face into ground beef. What we (okay, I) wondered was, could he stay on his feet and out of the clinch enough to put those skills to work? Against former Division II national champion wrestler Carwin, the answer for dos Santos, much like it is for every question asked of the Kool-Aid Man, was: ohhhhh yeah. He picked Carwin apart with his jab and kept the fight at a safe distance (well, safe for him, extremely dangerous for Carwin). He even showed off some spiffy defensive wrestling on the few occasions where Carwin got in close enough to test him. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is quicker and more explosive than Carwin, so that will be a different kind of challenge, but dos Santos showed us on Saturday that he’s more than deserving of the shot. Now if only we didn’t have to go six months between major heavyweight fights, this division might actually get somewhere.
Biggest Loser: Shane Carwin
It was as gutsy a performance as you’ll ever see, and with it he proved that he has the cardio and the heart to go the distance. At the same time, the closest he came to being competitive in this fight was when he landed one solitary left hook that made JDS go wobbly, and even then he couldn’t get close enough to follow up. Carwin did the one thing he couldn’t afford to do in this fight, which was hang out at the end of dos Santos’ jab. He got into a boxing match with a superior boxer, and the results were about what you’d expect from such a strategy. Again, any man who can take that kind of a beating and still keep coming is so tough that he borders on being mentally ill, so give Carwin his props for that. At the same time, he’s 36 years old and in the past eleven months he’s lost one title shot and one no. 1 contender fight. It’s starting to look like that interim title might be the only UFC belt he’s ever going to own.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Demian Maia
The Maia of three years ago would have gone into the fight with Mark Munoz looking to pull half-guard right away just to avoid the terrifying world of stand-up fighting as much as possible. That Maia was very good at what he did, but he was also limited. In a losing effort against Munoz he showed that he’s a much more complete fighter now, and he’s only getting better. You could make the argument that he’s a little too content to fight on the feet these days, which leaves his best weapon – his submissions game – tragically under-used. I wouldn’t argue with that, and maybe neither would Maia. My hope is that what we’re seeing now is just the swing of the pendulum as his overall game evolves. Maybe this loss will convince him to find a better balance in the future.
Least Impressive in Victory: Krzysztof Soszynski
In fairness, Mike Massenzio didn’t give him much to work with, but what did we expect? Massenzio took a short-notice fight in the weight class above his own and Soszynski still couldn’t do much more to him than stuff his takedowns and try to set up an offense that came only in short, tentative bursts. True, Massenzio didn’t make for much of a dance partner, but if Soszynski can’t do more with a size advantage like that against a short-notice opponent, that’s a little troubling. He got the decision win, but didn’t bump his stock much higher in the process. Let’s hope his next opponent gives him more to work with.
Most Frightening: Yves Edwards
It wasn’t so much the punch that put him out, but the way he went down that made me cringe. The back of Edwards’ head thudded off the mat with a sickening sound and he lay there motionless for several minutes afterward. That always makes for an unnerving sight, but the 34-year-old Edwards is such a beloved character in this sport that it made it even tougher than usual to sit there and wait for him to show signs of recovery. Those kinds of knockouts are the scariest and probably the most dangerous. The blow Edwards took to the back of the head as a result of the fall seemed much worse and more damaging than the punch itself, and yet there was really nothing anyone could do to prevent it or soften the impact. The referee – or in this case, a compassionate opponent like Stout – can stop a fighter from taking needless punches after he’s out, but nobody can do anything about the effects of gravity on a suddenly unconscious man.
Most Surprising: Dave Herman
Giving up nearly thirty pounds to a monstrous jiu-jitsu specialist, all while claiming that jiu-jitsu “doesn’t work,” didn’t seem like a recipe for success. But to Herman’s credit he took Jon Olav Einemo’s best shots and gave back more than the big man could handle. Less surprising than Herman’s victory was just how fun the fight was to watch. It had so many ups and downs and ebbs and flows that it made eight minutes of fighting feel like twenty. Only, you know, in the good way. Enjoy your Fight of the Night bonus money, gentleman. You both earned it.
The ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ Award: Kenny Florian
The move down to featherweight sounded like a pretty hellish, but business-savvy one for KenFlo. He saw the writing on the wall at lightweight and realized that if he didn’t want to turn into a gatekeeper, he needed to find a fresh start in a new division. The win over a very tough Diego Nunes at 145 pounds accomplished that. He has a new life as a featherweight and will “more than likely” get a crack at Jose Aldo now, according to Dana White. At the same time, a five-round fight with Aldo is going to be a tough night of work. I know Florian wants the challenge, and he might as well find out sooner rather than later if he’s up for it, but I hope he knows what he’s in for when he starves himself for a chance to get in the cage with that little buzz-saw.
Most Charismatic: Mark Munoz
The great thing about Munoz is that he’s a powerful, smash-mouth kind of fighter, but with a Labrador’s enthusiasm for life and everything in it. Even when he’s talking about getting rocked by Maia, his tone and expression suggest that he thought it was kind of fun, like going down a scary water slide. That kind of zeal for everything is infectious, and it makes it impossible not to like him. With the decision over Maia he has three straight victories under his belt, with each win more impressive than the last. He might not ever be champion, or even a top contender, but I can’t honestly say that I care. He’s just so fun to have around. And yeah, he’s a pretty good fighter, too.
Due to technical difficulties, Falling Action comes to you a day later than usual, and for that we apologize.
But as long as you haven’t pushed all recollection of UFC 131 out of your mind in order to make room for the beautiful new memories you made on Sunday and Monday – in other words, as long as you have greater brain capacity than a golden retriever – we figure most of you ought to still be able to enjoy a thorough discussion of this past weekend’s winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
We knew the big Brazilian could box even before he turned Shane Carwin’s face into ground beef. What we (okay, I) wondered was, could he stay on his feet and out of the clinch enough to put those skills to work? Against former Division II national champion wrestler Carwin, the answer for dos Santos, much like it is for every question asked of the Kool-Aid Man, was: ohhhhh yeah. He picked Carwin apart with his jab and kept the fight at a safe distance (well, safe for him, extremely dangerous for Carwin). He even showed off some spiffy defensive wrestling on the few occasions where Carwin got in close enough to test him. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is quicker and more explosive than Carwin, so that will be a different kind of challenge, but dos Santos showed us on Saturday that he’s more than deserving of the shot. Now if only we didn’t have to go six months between major heavyweight fights, this division might actually get somewhere.
Biggest Loser: Shane Carwin
It was as gutsy a performance as you’ll ever see, and with it he proved that he has the cardio and the heart to go the distance. At the same time, the closest he came to being competitive in this fight was when he landed one solitary left hook that made JDS go wobbly, and even then he couldn’t get close enough to follow up. Carwin did the one thing he couldn’t afford to do in this fight, which was hang out at the end of dos Santos’ jab. He got into a boxing match with a superior boxer, and the results were about what you’d expect from such a strategy. Again, any man who can take that kind of a beating and still keep coming is so tough that he borders on being mentally ill, so give Carwin his props for that. At the same time, he’s 36 years old and in the past eleven months he’s lost one title shot and one no. 1 contender fight. It’s starting to look like that interim title might be the only UFC belt he’s ever going to own.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Demian Maia
The Maia of three years ago would have gone into the fight with Mark Munoz looking to pull half-guard right away just to avoid the terrifying world of stand-up fighting as much as possible. That Maia was very good at what he did, but he was also limited. In a losing effort against Munoz he showed that he’s a much more complete fighter now, and he’s only getting better. You could make the argument that he’s a little too content to fight on the feet these days, which leaves his best weapon – his submissions game – tragically under-used. I wouldn’t argue with that, and maybe neither would Maia. My hope is that what we’re seeing now is just the swing of the pendulum as his overall game evolves. Maybe this loss will convince him to find a better balance in the future.
Least Impressive in Victory: Krzysztof Soszynski
In fairness, Mike Massenzio didn’t give him much to work with, but what did we expect? Massenzio took a short-notice fight in the weight class above his own and Soszynski still couldn’t do much more to him than stuff his takedowns and try to set up an offense that came only in short, tentative bursts. True, Massenzio didn’t make for much of a dance partner, but if Soszynski can’t do more with a size advantage like that against a short-notice opponent, that’s a little troubling. He got the decision win, but didn’t bump his stock much higher in the process. Let’s hope his next opponent gives him more to work with.
Most Frightening: Yves Edwards
It wasn’t so much the punch that put him out, but the way he went down that made me cringe. The back of Edwards’ head thudded off the mat with a sickening sound and he lay there motionless for several minutes afterward. That always makes for an unnerving sight, but the 34-year-old Edwards is such a beloved character in this sport that it made it even tougher than usual to sit there and wait for him to show signs of recovery. Those kinds of knockouts are the scariest and probably the most dangerous. The blow Edwards took to the back of the head as a result of the fall seemed much worse and more damaging than the punch itself, and yet there was really nothing anyone could do to prevent it or soften the impact. The referee – or in this case, a compassionate opponent like Stout – can stop a fighter from taking needless punches after he’s out, but nobody can do anything about the effects of gravity on a suddenly unconscious man.
Most Surprising: Dave Herman
Giving up nearly thirty pounds to a monstrous jiu-jitsu specialist, all while claiming that jiu-jitsu “doesn’t work,” didn’t seem like a recipe for success. But to Herman’s credit he took Jon Olav Einemo’s best shots and gave back more than the big man could handle. Less surprising than Herman’s victory was just how fun the fight was to watch. It had so many ups and downs and ebbs and flows that it made eight minutes of fighting feel like twenty. Only, you know, in the good way. Enjoy your Fight of the Night bonus money, gentleman. You both earned it.
The ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ Award: Kenny Florian
The move down to featherweight sounded like a pretty hellish, but business-savvy one for KenFlo. He saw the writing on the wall at lightweight and realized that if he didn’t want to turn into a gatekeeper, he needed to find a fresh start in a new division. The win over a very tough Diego Nunes at 145 pounds accomplished that. He has a new life as a featherweight and will “more than likely” get a crack at Jose Aldo now, according to Dana White. At the same time, a five-round fight with Aldo is going to be a tough night of work. I know Florian wants the challenge, and he might as well find out sooner rather than later if he’s up for it, but I hope he knows what he’s in for when he starves himself for a chance to get in the cage with that little buzz-saw.
Most Charismatic: Mark Munoz
The great thing about Munoz is that he’s a powerful, smash-mouth kind of fighter, but with a Labrador’s enthusiasm for life and everything in it. Even when he’s talking about getting rocked by Maia, his tone and expression suggest that he thought it was kind of fun, like going down a scary water slide. That kind of zeal for everything is infectious, and it makes it impossible not to like him. With the decision over Maia he has three straight victories under his belt, with each win more impressive than the last. He might not ever be champion, or even a top contender, but I can’t honestly say that I care. He’s just so fun to have around. And yeah, he’s a pretty good fighter, too.
After picking up his second straight loss at UFC 131, Shane Carwin was transferred to a nearby hospital to undergo further evaluation on his injuries suffered during his bout with Junior dos Santos. According to MMAWeekly.com, Carwin’s manager, Ja…
After picking up his second straight loss at UFC 131, Shane Carwin was transferred to a nearby hospital to undergo further evaluation on his injuries suffered during his bout with Junior dos Santos.
According to MMAWeekly.com, Carwin’s manager, Jason Genet, wrote via Twitter that Carwin had suffered a broken nose and three deep cuts, along with having to undergo a CT scan.
While it was no surprise that Dos Santos was the superior striker, Carwin showed tremendous heart throughout the entire bout. The 250-pound Colorado native was knocked down early in the first round by the Brazilian, and appeared to be defeated, but he would continue to fight and remain in the bout.
The win has now put Dos Santos in line to face UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, sometime this fall. While the loss for Carwin will likely lead him back to the drawing board and prepare for his next bout, but there is no denial in his heart and passion as a mixed martial artist.
The main event of UFC 131 between Junior “Cigano” dos Santos and Shane “The Engineer” Carwin stood up to the hype.During 15 minutes of the seemingly one-sided beat-down delivered by JDS on Carwin, there were numerous highlights.First, Carwin has an iro…
The main event of UFC 131 between Junior “Cigano” dos Santos and Shane “The Engineer” Carwin stood up to the hype.
During 15 minutes of the seemingly one-sided beat-down delivered by JDS on Carwin, there were numerous highlights.
First, Carwin has an iron jaw and is capable of enduring a hellacious beating.
With the will of a champion, “The Engineer” continued to press forward against JDS, even though his strikes were off point and his takedown attempts failed to secure any control.
Secondly, the main event highlighted the fact that dos Santos is clearly the No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight championship. As Joe Rogan eloquently states, JDS “is a bad man.”
There is no denying this light-hearted moniker for the Brazilian, dos Santos is an extremely talented mixed martial artist with explosively fast hands and a potentially unmatched boxing prowess within the division.
The thorough annihilation of Carwin by dos Santos has provided “Cigano” with a slight betting edge over current UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez.
It is rare for Las Vegas to side with the contender, especially when, on paper, both Velasquez and dos Santos are almost evenly matched.
Comparing each heavyweights body of work inside the Octagon, JDS is 7-0 with four stoppages by (T)KO. Similarly, Velasquez is 7-0 with six victories by (T)KO.
Clearly, both fighters possess knockout power and the ability to dominate their opponents.
Is there a disparity between the level of competition that would provide dos Santos with the edge in the eyes of bookies?
“Cigano” has defeated the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzaga, and most recently, Shane Carwin. An elite stable of high caliber of fighters have suffered defeat at the hands of the hard-hitting Brazilian.
Defeating a potentially lower level of competition as compared to JDS, Velasquez has secured victories over Cheick Kongo, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and in his last fight, Brock Lesnar, to win the heavyweight strap.
Viewing their fighting resumes, dos Santos has seemingly defeated tougher competition. With that said, Velasquez has little control over who he fights. And, as a champion should, has defeated each and every opponent the UFC has placed in front of him.
With each fighters body of work eerily similar, is the fact that Cain Velasquez is recovering from shoulder surgery the rationale behind his underdog status?
Surgeries performed on today’s elite athletes are technologically advanced. Whereas athletes would typically need over one year to rehabilitate from an ACL tear, because of modern medicine, those athletes are performing in a little over eight months.
Additionally, baseball players who require Tommy John surgery come back throwing harder than prior to being placed under the knife.
Would I expect Cain Velasquez to suffer any long-term effects from his shoulder surgery? Personally, no. He is provided the best surgeons and will endure the highest level of physical therapy to guarantee that his shoulder can compensate for the demands of being an ultimate fighter.
Therefore, both fighters possess an impressive Octagon resume. Both fighters are tremendously gifted on their feet and can finish a fight with one punch. And both fighters will enter the cage on October 8th at UFC 136 completely healed and fully prepared for a heavyweight showdown for the championship.
These facts are indisputable. So why is Junior dos Santos the betting favorite over Cain Velasquez?
I honestly do not have a sound rationale as to why Vegas is favoring the challenger.
Without an answer, I ask you the knowledgeable Bleacher Report readers to justify why Junior dos Santos is supposed to beat Cain Velasquez and proudly adorn the UFC heavyweight championship.
Please provide me with your rationale so that I may have some clarity on this decision by the bookies.
After spending almost a full 24 hours in the emergency room, Shane Carwin updated his personal blog for the first time since UFC 131. This writer personally recommends reading Carwin’s latest post in its entirety, but Bloody Elbow took…
After spending almost a full 24 hours in the emergency room, Shane Carwin updated his personal blog for the first time since UFC 131.
This writer personally recommends reading Carwin’s latest post in its entirety, but Bloody Elbow took the time to find some of the most relevant excerpts.
Speaking about the opening round, Carwin explained:
“As the fight started I just did not feel like myself, I wasn’t able to get my feet moving and Junior capitalized quickly.”
He continued: “As he was pummeling me I kept trying to find a way to defend myself so Herb would not stop the fight. Junior was landing solid shots and that is where probably he broke my nose.”
Nothing too earth shattering there, as that is probably the exact same thoughts that anyone watching the fight had.
Speaking about the end of the fight, and Junior dos Santos in general, Carwin reflected that:
“The end of the fight was pretty much a blur. Junior was a better fighter than I was last night. His boxing was better and he used his boxing to take me out of the fight. I have nothing but respect for Junior and his camp. He deserves the title shot.”
Considering no one ever hurt Carwin even half as bad as JDS did at UFC 131, it is no surprise dos Santos is receiving praise from his most recent opponent.
However, the most thought provoking portion of Carwin’s blog comes from when he was discussing the second and third round of the main event fight.
“After the second round I knew I was in trouble. My nose made it impossible to breathe, my eyes were full of blood and Junior was still coming at me. When the ref stopped the fight in the third, I thought it was over.
“When the doctor came in the octagon I knew it was going to be up to me to sell them on letting me continue.”
So does that mean that Carwin pulled a fast one on the ringside doctor?
“I knew I was in deep trouble but I also knew that all I needed was one clean shot. I wanted to keep myself in the fight. I wasn’t able to see but I said I could and we continued.”
This is not all that shocking, especially considering the heart that Carwin showed in soldiering on for the full 15 minutes, but it should be at least a little concerning.
Especially when Carwin added:
“I have had a lot of time to reflect on the fight and while I have not seen it and due to the damage I incurred I can’t recall much of the fight.”
When is the line drawn between being courageous and gutsy, and being reckless and stupid?
Did Carwin cross that line, or did he do what any other physically capable fighter would have done in that situation?
Was referee Herb Dean remiss in letting the fight continue past the first round?
Regardless of what one’s opinion is on this thought provoking news, it certainly does open up some interesting discussion involving the safety of full contact fighters.
Due to technical difficulties, Falling Action comes to you a day later than usual, and for that we apologize. 
