Tag: UFC 155

3 Things Junior Dos Santos Could Have Done Differently at UFC 155

Junior Dos Santos’ performance was admirable, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop Cain Velasquez from having his vengeance at UFC 155.Velasquez left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight in the world in a surprisingly one-sided unanimous decision vi…

Junior Dos Santos‘ performance was admirable, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop Cain Velasquez from having his vengeance at UFC 155.

Velasquez left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight in the world in a surprisingly one-sided unanimous decision victory over Dos Santos.

Despite a lopsided showing, it’s tough to criticize Dos Santos for his heartfelt performance. He took a serious beating in the first round, and it’s a miracle he was even able to stand for a full 25 minutes.

Velasquez is arguably the best wrestler in heavyweight history and his conditioning is second to none. Yet, a broken down Dos Santos still managed to fend off numerous takedowns and hang around in the standup exchanges.

There are definitely some positives to take away from his performance and apply in the inevitable rubber match.

Here are three things Dos Santos could have done differently at UFC 155.

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10 Things We Learned in UFC 155

UFC 155 is in the books and it was mixed at best. It got off to a lackluster start in the first 90 minutes, but the last two fights clearly got the crowd alive. Despite only one true finish, the last two fights really kept people standing and left peop…

UFC 155 is in the books and it was mixed at best. It got off to a lackluster start in the first 90 minutes, but the last two fights clearly got the crowd alive. Despite only one true finish, the last two fights really kept people standing and left people standing.

The odd part of this card is that I went 1-4 in my predictions. Usually I go either 3-2 or 4-1, but this time was a colossal bust. Jim Miller’s first-round assault and intelligent ground game saved me from looking even worse.

We have a new world heavyweight champion in Cain Velasquez, which may be a shock to some. I’m not too shocked about it because Velasquez has always been the real deal to me. The way it shocked me was how dominant he looked.

The heavyweight championship is a constant carousel, with a plethora of great fighters in the division, so Velasquez better be fully prepared for his title reign.

Here’s 10 things we learned from UFC 155:

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UFC 155: Dana White Reflects on Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 Card

The main event and co-main event saved UFC 155 on Saturday night, according to Dana White.When talking to Ariel Helwani in a post-fight interview on FUEL, the UFC President wasn’t happy with the first three fights on the main card. If not for the last …

The main event and co-main event saved UFC 155 on Saturday night, according to Dana White.

When talking to Ariel Helwani in a post-fight interview on FUEL, the UFC President wasn’t happy with the first three fights on the main card. If not for the last two bouts, the entire pay-per-view card might have been considered a dud.

White weighs in:

Thank God for the co-main and main event tonight, that’s all I have to say. The undercard was awesome. I’m talking about the pay-per-view. The co-main and main event saved the night.

It was a tough crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but it’s tough to disagree with White.

Chris Leben’s anticipated return against Derek Brunson was an early snoozer. Both men were already gassed by the second round, and Brunson seemed more interested in the clock than trying to win the fight.

Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher were up next in a bout that generally consisted of top control without any attempts at advancing position.

In the third fight, an accidental headbutt and eye poke turned Tim Boetsch into a shell of his usual aggressive self against Constantinos Philippou.

By the time the co-main event rolled around, the energy was completely sapped from the arena, and fans appeared anxious to fast-forward to the heavyweight championship.

Luckily, Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon saved the event with a brilliant performance that could steal Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier’s thunder for “Fight of the Year.” To think, some fans were complaining about Miller and Lauzon not being suitable as a co-main event for a pay-per-view card.

As the saying goes, a fight card is only as good as its main event. It’s nearly impossible for a show to stand out with a stinker for a headliner.

Thankfully, Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez exceeded expectations in the highly anticipated championship rematch. Velasquez earned a lopsided unanimous decision in the end, but Dos Santos’ heart and perseverance helped turn the fight into one of the most memorable heavyweight title bouts in recent memory.

White was all smiles when talking about the main event:

I would’ve bet everything I owned that this fight would never go five rounds, and I’d be broke right now. I thought either one of them could win. Tonight, you saw Cain Velasquez, early on he wasn’t afraid to trade with Junior Dos Santos, and he actually got the better of the standup, and tonight you saw him take him down.

What else you saw was how tough and how much heart Junior Dos Santos has. From what I’m hearing, his jaw was broken in the second round, and he fought the rest of the fight. What he did tonight was amazing. I’ve never seen a guy so tough.

It was confirmed at the post-fight press conference that Dos Santos’ jaw wasn’t broken. This still doesn’t take away from a Rocky-like performance from the former champ.

With Velasquez’s victory, the UFC embarks on a long journey of welcoming one of the biggest heavyweight rivalries in MMA history.

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Dos Santos vs Velasquez 2: 5 Reasons the Fight Exceeded Expectations

Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez had a showdown for the ages at UFC 155.The bout was reminiscent of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.Luckily, the rematch didn’t end in another 64-second knockout. The world finally g…

Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez had a showdown for the ages at UFC 155.

The bout was reminiscent of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Luckily, the rematch didn’t end in another 64-second knockout. The world finally got to see what Velasquez and Dos Santos were truly about. Fans were treated to a wild and entertaining scrap involving the top-two heavyweights in the world.

In the end, Velasquez routed Dos Santos for the unanimous decision to recapture the UFC heavyweight title.

After the fight, Dos Santos grabbed the microphone from UFC commentator Joe Rogan, looked into the camera and spoke the same words Velasquez spoke when he lost the title a year ago.

“I’m going to come back, and I’m going to take my belt again,” he said.

A great heavyweight rivalry was born on Saturday night. As of now, Velasquez and Dos Santos seem to be on an island in terms of skill in comparison to the rest of the heavyweight division.

Seeing as they are both incredibly young fighters, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this rivalry extend to four or five fights.

For now, here are five reasons Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 exceeded expectations.

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Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2: UFC Heavyweights Should Have Title Rubber Match

Cain Velasquez got his redemption against Junior Dos Santos in the UFC 155 heavyweight title fight, putting on a stunning, dominant five-round display to reclaim his belt.It may be a while before Dos Santos recovers, but with the series tied at one api…

Cain Velasquez got his redemption against Junior Dos Santos in the UFC 155 heavyweight title fight, putting on a stunning, dominant five-round display to reclaim his belt.

It may be a while before Dos Santos recovers, but with the series tied at one apiece as it stands, the two fighters and MMA fans everywhere should entertain the idea of a rubber match with the title at stake once again.

The loss to Dos Santos back in November of 2011 was the only one of Velasquez’s UFC career. He was fighting through a knee injury at the time, but firmly denied that it was the determining factor. But it was clear who the better fighter was on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

SportsCenter‘s official Twitter page documented just how one-sided the affair was despite the fight going the full distance:

The first fight was over in 64 seconds, and Velasquez could have ended the fight after Round 1. A combination of a leg kick and punishing punches pushed Dos Santos against the cage and eventually knocked him down. That set the tone for the rest of the night in the octagon.

Two fights, two convincing wins for both Dos Santos and Velasquez. This most recent encounter also marked Dos Santos’ only loss in the UFC.

What other sort of incentive needs to be provided for another showdown?

Velasquez revealed his strategy that helped him succeed so well the second time around (h/t AP via The Daily Globe and Mail):

I knew that Junior was a tough striker and he was able to end our last fight that way, so I was prepared for him this time…I was able to effectively use my striking and my grappling to control him throughout the fight and get the title back.

Velasquez’s background as a wrestler at Arizona State certainly served him well, and the boxing brilliance of his opponent couldn’t get him out of trouble. Neither could Dos Santos’ jiu-jitsu prowess.

Given the time to evaluate what went wrong and how he can improve, Dos Santos is a versatile fighter that can make the necessary adjustments and bounce back in the next encounter. As he said afterwards, he is determined to get his belt back.

However, Dos Santos might not get that opportunity until early 2014.

UFC president Dana White expects Velasquez and Dos Santos to meet again, but as mentioned in an article by John Morgan of USA TODAY, it might be a while before that occurs. White notes that Dos Santos’ injuries could prevent a rematch for an extended period of time.

I think trilogies are always awesome, especially when both these fights went the way that they did. I mean, I want to see the third fight. It will be interesting. But this isn’t like losing a regular fight. He got beat up pretty bad. It usually takes a little longer to recover from what he went through.

It was a straining, 13-month wait for the second edition of the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos battle. It could be about that long until the two will be prepared to meet again—especially with Velasquez likely to take on an additional fight in the meantime.

But it was worth the wait on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where a record ticket sales of $3.2 million were logged at the MGM Grand Garden.

With true bragging rights and an edge in this emerging rivalry on the line in the next prospective clash, the wait would certainly be worth it once again.

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UFC 155: Cain Velasquez’s Win Sets Up UFC for Huge 2013

Cain Velasquez lost his UFC heavyweight belt in just 64 seconds to Junior Dos Santos last November, and then he waited 13 long months for the chance to get it back. When Velasquez squared off in a rematch with Dos Santos at UFC 155, he made sure the be…

Cain Velasquez lost his UFC heavyweight belt in just 64 seconds to Junior Dos Santos last November, and then he waited 13 long months for the chance to get it back.

When Velasquez squared off in a rematch with Dos Santos at UFC 155, he made sure the belt returned to its rightful owner. The 30-year-old dominated Dos Santos the entire match.

He out-struck, out-landed and battered the Brazilian throughout the fight en route to a unanimous decision.

It was an entertaining bout and an outstanding result for the UFC.

Velasquez is one of the company’s most popular fighters. He’s a proud and outspoken champion who appeals to the Latin base that fuels the success of the UFC.

His fight drew a live gate of $3.286 million, eclipsing the total of Brock Lesnar’s (one of the more popular fighters in UFC history) farewell loss to Alistair Overeem a year ago.

The fight card was a huge sign of progress for UFC.

It’s a sport that in just the last year has made itself a fixture on Fox and has pulled in huge audiences, despite a large amount of injuries and cancellations.

The sport is moving forward at a rapid pace under the leadership of Dana White.

In March, welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will defend his title against the character that is Nick Diaz.

That fight card will be quickly followed in April by a lineup that is highlighted by light heavyweight champion Jon Jones taking on Chael Sonnen. The popular show The Ultimate Fighter will also return.

Anderson Silva‘s belt will likely be on the line later in the year, as will Velasquez’s.

If those fights weren’t enough, White is looking to celebrate the UFC’s 20th anniversary with a bang.

Saturday night, White let on that there is a chance the UFC will make it’s debut at Madison Square Garden in November.

If that happens, 2013 will surely be a spectacular year for the UFC.

And it all kicked off with Velasquez’s victory.

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