Junior Dos Santos Thought He ‘Was Going To Win’ After Landing Leg Kicks

Although their rematch, which took place in the main event of last night’s (May 13, 2017) UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas, didn’t last too long, Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos both saw moments of success. In fact, Dos Santos felt as if he had Miocic in some trouble early on. After landing a few

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Although their rematch, which took place in the main event of last night’s (May 13, 2017) UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas, didn’t last too long, Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos both saw moments of success.

In fact, Dos Santos felt as if he had Miocic in some trouble early on.

After landing a few vicious kicks flush on Miocic’s leg, Dos Santos thought his plan was ‘working’. The former titleholder even felt as if he was ‘going to win’:

“I’m very disappointed, not because he won the fight, but because I lost,” Dos Santos told MMAJunkie. “I didn’t do any mistakes. Actually, everything was working very well. I know he walks forward all the time. And I like to walk backward and enjoy the opportunities that my opponents give me. I was throwing some hard kicks, and they were working very well until – I remember, the last kick I threw at him, he felt a lot. And I felt I did well. ‘Now I have to move.’ And then I don’t remember anymore.

“After the third kick, I felt happy in my heart. I said, ‘Man, it’s working; I’m going to win.’ And then, you know – heavyweights.”

As Dos Santos mentioned, however, anything can happen in a fight between two heavyweights. Despite showing some signs of damage from the leg kicks, Miocic charged forward before landing a picture perfect right hand that sent JDS crashing to the canvas.

While “Cigano” admitted that he was ‘sad’ with how the fight turned out, he said that he was ‘glad’ that a fighter like Miocic had heavyweight gold strapped around his waist:

“I didn’t do any mistakes; it was on him,” Dos Santos said. “He did very well, actually. Heavyweights, man. I’m sad, of course. I’d like to win this. I’d like to become the champion again. But if I’m not the champion, I’m glad this guy is the champion. He’s a really nice guy. I still think the same. He deserves that. And tonight was his night.

“That’s the heavyweight division. I think I’ve already made many men feel like that. It’s terrible. I was prepared. I am prepared. And I had a lot to give there. And everything was working very well, the way we expected. We know he’s a tough guy who would walk forward all the time.”

With the victory, Miocic tied the all-time record for most consecutive title defenses in the heavyweight division with two. With five straight T/KO victories under his belt, however, Miocic seems poised for greatness and Dos Santos agrees:

“It’s going to take a lot,” Dos Santos said. “This guy is the real deal, like I said during the week. He’s doing very well. He has really heavy hands. The way I see it, he’s going to continue to grow in this division … and become one of the greatest.”

Who would you like to see Miocic defend his title against next?

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UFC Needs To Rebound Big With Tomorrow’s UFC 211

It’s no secret that the UFC has had a less than stellar start to 2017. New owners WME-IMG have appeared to struggle settling into their new roles at the helm of the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion and it has shown with the pay-per-view (PPV) cards that have took place so far this year.

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It’s no secret that the UFC has had a less than stellar start to 2017.

New owners WME-IMG have appeared to struggle settling into their new roles at the helm of the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion and it has shown with the pay-per-view (PPV) cards that have took place so far this year.

PPV has and likely always will be the main platform and main source of income for the promotion, but UFC 208, which took place on Feb. 11, 2017, and UFC 209, which went down on March 4, 2017, weren’t cards to remember. UFC 210, which  took place on April 8, 2017, didn’t garner much attention either, as it appeared to have been a rather weak card aside from its main event and co-main event, which ended in a whirlwind of controversy.

With that being said, the UFC is in desperate need of a rebound and the promotion is well-aware of that.

That rebound should come at UFC 211, which will hit screens tomorrow May 13, 2017 live on PPV from Dallas, Texas. Seemingly aware of the slow start it has gone through to start the new year, the UFC has stacked the deck for UFC 211, making it look like a vintage event that fight fans had grown to love.

The upcoming card will be headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos, two sluggers who went back-and-forth for five rounds in a bloody war in their first meeting back in Dec. 2014.

The co-main event has a strong chance to produce fireworks as well, as reigning strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will put her 115-pound title on the line for the fifth consecutive time against Jessica Andrade. ‘Joanna Champion’ has proven to be an exciting fighter and she will face a legitimate threat in the No. 3-ranked Andrade.

Two intriguing title fights are set to headline the card, but that isn’t all. No. 3-ranked surging welterweight contender Demian Maia will meet No. 6-ranked Jorge Masvidal in what could potentially be a 170-pound title eliminator. Former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez will return to action as well, as he takes on No. 10-ranked Dustin Poirier. Finally, former featherweight title challenger Frankie Edgar will take on rising prospect Yair Rodriguez in an interesting clash of styles.

It’s well-rounded cards with a plethora of talent and depth like this one that made the UFC the premier organization for mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, the promotion has seemed to stray away from this strategy in recent memory, but UFC 211 should serve as a rebound, and one that is needed by the promotion.

Let’s hope that UFC 211 doesn’t just mark a rebound, but a return to high level consistency as well.

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Stipe Miocic Unveils Goals For Historic Championship Reign

The UFC heavyweight title has proven to be the most elusive in the history of the promotion, as it has never been defended more than two consecutive times. This weekend (May 13, 2017), reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will rematch ex-titleholder Junior Dos Santos in the main event of UFC 211 live on pay-per-view (PPV)

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The UFC heavyweight title has proven to be the most elusive in the history of the promotion, as it has never been defended more than two consecutive times.

This weekend (May 13, 2017), reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will rematch ex-titleholder Junior Dos Santos in the main event of UFC 211 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Dallas, Texas. Miocic will look to make the second defense of his title against Dos Santos after knocking out Alistair Overeem last September at UFC 203, but he isn’t too concerned with tying a record:

“If it happens, it happens,” Miocic told MMAjunkie. “I’m going to do it, but I’m not going to worry about it. I’m worried about him, the guy who beat me last time. If I keep winning, I’ll have a legacy. But I’m not here to make a legacy – I’m here to win.”

Miocic and Dos Santos met for the first time at UFC on FOX 13 in Dec. 2014 in a bout that ended up being a back-and-forth five round war. Both men were battered and bloodied by the time the final bell rung, but it was “Cigano” who walked away with a decision victory. That loss still haunts Miocic, but he seems poised to finish the Brazilian slugger this time around:

“Unfortunately, he beat me last time, which kills me inside,” Miocic said. “But I want to thank him at the same time because it made me better.”

“I’m getting better every fight,” Miocic said. “I don’t care, if I’m getting my hands on him, it’s not going to last five rounds.”

Who do you expect to take home heavyweight gold at UFC 211 this Saturday night?

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The UFC Heavyweight Division Has No Choice But To Evolve

Over the last few years, the UFC heavyweight division has been highlighted by names like Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum, three of the best heavyweights of all-time, and three men who have previously sported UFC gold. With those men aging, the division is evolving, however, and its currently in an inevitable transformation

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Over the last few years, the UFC heavyweight division has been highlighted by names like Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum, three of the best heavyweights of all-time, and three men who have previously sported UFC gold.

With those men aging, the division is evolving, however, and its currently in an inevitable transformation period.

34-year-old Stipe Miocic is the current heavyweight king after he brutally knocked out Werdum in the first round of their UFC 198 bout last May. He then defended the strap with another first-round knockout of Alistair Overeem this past September.

Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Although he appears to be in the prime of his career, Miocic is no spring chicken, and neither are the division’s top four contenders.

Velasquez is also 34 years of age, but his career has been plagued by injuries in recent memory. He spent over a year on the sidelines after losing his title to Werdum in 2015, but returned at July 2016’s UFC 200 to score a dominant victory over Travis Browne. Then scheduled to rematch Werdum at December 2016’s UFC 207, Velasquez was forced to withdraw from the bout after he failed to receive medical clearance due to the fact that he had yet another surgery scheduled just days after UFC 207. It’s unclear how much longer the ex-champion’s body will hold up.

Dos Santos, a 33-year-old, is slated to rematch Miocic this May for the title after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Ben Rothwell last April. The Brazilian slugger beat Miocic in their first meeting, but he’s lost three of his last six bouts and has taken a tremendous amount of damage over the course of his career.

Werdum is the oldest of the top contenders at 39 years of age. Still sitting at No. 1 in the divisional rankings, however, he has actually won seven of his last eight with his only loss in that stretch coming to Miocic, but he likely only has a few years left in the tank as well. Overeem, on the other hand, is currently 36 and is coming off a knockout loss to the champion. He will return in just a few weeks against Mark Hunt at UFC 209, but he too has taken a large amount of damage throughout his lengthy career.

While any of the four aforementioned fighters could still realistically win the UFC heavyweight title, it’s clear that they are on the downside of their respective careers.

The division is being forced to evolve and it has already begun, most notably with No. 6-ranked Francis Ngannou and No. 7-ranked Derrick Lewis. Ngannou is currently 30 years old, while Lewis is 32. You may not consider either man a young prospect, but each man is relatively young compared to the other top heavyweights.

“The Predator” currently possesses a 10-1 professional record, and he’s continued to gain steam by scoring five consecutive Octagon wins. Most recently knocking out former champion Andrei Arlovski in the first round of their bout, Ngannou will likely be given another pivotal bout in his next outing on his way to a title shot.

 

Lewis, on the other hand, just picked up an impressive second round stoppage victory over Travis Browne at last Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 105. That win made it six straight for the “Black Beast” and five of those have come by way of T/KO. His entertaining skills on the mic has fans intrigued, and his mysterious knockout power will likely continue to earn him big fights.

Do you see Ngannou or Lewis holding heavyweight gold in the near future, and what are your predictions for the heavyweight division in the coming years?

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Junior Dos Santos Wants Fourth Match-Up With Cain Velasquez

Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is slated to rematch reigning divisional kingpin Stipe Miocic in the main event of May 13, 2017’s UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas, but prior to the booking of that fight, he had expressed interest in a rematch with fellow former champion Fabricio Werdum. Dos Santos has claimed that

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is slated to rematch reigning divisional kingpin Stipe Miocic in the main event of May 13, 2017’s UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas, but prior to the booking of that fight, he had expressed interest in a rematch with fellow former champion Fabricio Werdum.

Dos Santos has claimed that Werdum turned down the fight multiple times, however, which is why he no longer wants to fight “Vai Cavalo”, also throwing Alistair Overeem’s name into that category:

“Why am I going to fight this guy? He denied to fight me three times,” dos Santos said (Via MMAMania). “He was ranked first in rankings and I thought maybe we could have a good fight. But now, he denied me three times and now I don’t want to fight him anymore.

“He don’t add anything on my career,” he continued. “Let’s see in the future, but he denied me three times, and Overeem denied me twice. That’s what UFC told me. These guys just want to fight me when I am a really good thing for them. Other than that, then they don’t want me because they know how well I do during the fights. I am coming here to be champion again.”

If he scores another victory over Miocic, however, “Cigano” is interested in sharing the cage with Cain Velasquez again. The two have met three times to date, with Dos Santos knocking Velasquez out in the first meeting, and the Mexican-American destroying the Brazilian in the rematch and the rubber match.

While ha hasn’t had much luck against Velasquez in recent memory, Dos Santos said it’s now the ‘moment of truth’:

“I think this is one of the fights I for sure want to do. I hope he can get better, heal from surgery. I want to fight him again,” proclaimed dos Santos. “I feel like I have to go for fourth fight. After our third fight, Cain said it was the last time, but he was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I hope he does well because I am going to be very happy to face him again. Things are different now. It’s the moment of truth.”

Would you like to see Dos Santos and Velasquez do battle for a fourth time?

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Report: Fabricio Werdum To Meet Ben Rothwell At UFC 211

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum was campaigning hard for a rematch with champion Stipe Miocic, who knocked him out last May, but the UFC recently booked Miocic in a rematch against Junior Dos Santos for May 13, 2017’s UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas. According to a report from Combate, Werdum will also

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum was campaigning hard for a rematch with champion Stipe Miocic, who knocked him out last May, but the UFC recently booked Miocic in a rematch against Junior Dos Santos for May 13, 2017’s UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas.

According to a report from Combate, Werdum will also compete at UFC 211 in a bout against No. 5-ranked Ben Rothwell. The UFC has yet to officially confirm the bout.

Since losing his title to Miocic in brutal fashion in his native Brazil, Werdum has only competed once, getting back to his winning ways with a one-sided decision victory in a rematch against Travis Browne at this past September’s UFC 203. He was then set to rematch fellow former champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, 2016, but the bout fell through when Velasquez failed to receive medical clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

Rothwell, on the other hand, is coming off of a decision loss to Dos Santos last April. Prior to that, however, he had been the winner of four straight over the likes of Brandon Vera, Alistair Overeem, Matt Mitrione and Josh Barnett with all four of those victories coming by way of stoppage.

A bout between Werdum and Rothwell at UFC 211 makes quite a bit of sense, as the winner could be paired up with the winner of the card’s main event to form the next heavyweight title fight.

Is this a bout that interests you?

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