Tag: UFC 166

UFC 166: Stars Who Have the Most to Lose Saturday Night

Saturday’s UFC 166 pay-per-view has one of the most interesting cards of the year, but the focus has shifted to which stars have the most to lose this weekend.
All of the following stars must win Saturday to get on the right track, and a loss cou…

Saturday’s UFC 166 pay-per-view has one of the most interesting cards of the year, but the focus has shifted to which stars have the most to lose this weekend.

All of the following stars must win Saturday to get on the right track, and a loss could be the worst possible outcome for their careers.

 

Junior dos Santos

After beating Cain Velasquez in the duo’s first meeting for the heavyweight title, Junior dos Santos was dominated by the new champion in the second bout and lost the title. This rubber match is a must win for dos Santos.

Dos Santos is coming off a lopsided win over Mark Hunt to earn his way back into the title picture, but this could be his last chance at the belt if he loses once again. For a fighter that has tasted a championship victory in the heavyweight division, dos Santos doesn’t want to be relegated once again.

Velasquez has proven to be dos Santos’ biggest test—the champion has outwrestled the challenger at every chance and rendered the Brazilian’s elite striking a non-factor—and a loss in another title fight would be the biggest defeat in dos Santos’ career.

Dos Santos can’t afford to lose in another main event.

 

Roy Nelson

Roy “Big Country” Nelson is one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport and a bona fide fan favorite, but an incredibly tough matchup against Daniel Cormier could be the last marquee fight he ever takes if he faces another loss.

While Nelson comes in as one of the toughest strikers in the sport, Cormier could be the best pure wrestler to ever step into a UFC Octagon. If Nelson doesn’t have the skill to stop the Olympic wrestler, the hunt for a title will likely be over unless he makes drastic changes to his physique and conditioning.

Nelson is unquestionably tough, but the lack of elite cardio makes him easy pickings for the elite athletes in the heavyweight division. With Cormier’s ability to grind his opponents down over the course of a fight, Nelson has the chance to lose once again and become nothing more than a divisional gatekeeper.

 

Sarah Kaufman

When the UFC added the women’s division to the company, one of the marquee signings was former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman. After having her first fight cancelled, Kaufman makes her long-awaited debut against Jessica Eye at UFC 166.

Kaufman fought champion Ronda Rousey in Strikeforce but lost via submission. With the talent to be a top contender in the division and the need to gain revenge for the submission loss, Kaufman must beat Eye Saturday night.

While there are plenty of women in the division that would make a viable opponent for Rousey and her championship, Kaufman has the experience in the Octagon and against the title holder to make that a great fight. She must win Saturday for that rematch to ever come to fruition, though.

 

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UFC 166 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Streaming from Houston

Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will complete their heavyweight championship trilogy on Saturday.
Following dos Santos’ knockout win in their first meeting and Velasquez’s dominant decision win in their second, these elite heavyweights will battle…

Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will complete their heavyweight championship trilogy on Saturday.

Following dos Santos’ knockout win in their first meeting and Velasquez’s dominant decision win in their second, these elite heavyweights will battle to see who takes a step closer to becoming the best heavyweight in UFC history.

In addition to the highly anticipated main event, UFC 166 will feature two more heavyweight bouts on its main card. Daniel Cormier will try to set up a light heavyweight title run with a victory over Roy Nelson in what is expected to be his final heavyweight showing, while Gabriel Gonzaga and Shawn Jordan will try to work their way closer to the Top 10.

Gilbert Melendez will also appear on the UFC 166 main card. Coming off of a controversial decision in a lightweight championship bout, Melendez will look to earn another title shot by winning impressively against another former title challenger in Diego Sanchez. 

At the conclusion of the fight card, several fighters will join UFC president Dana White for the post-fight press conference, which can be viewed live on the above video player.

Below is the full UFC 166 fight card.

 

UFC 166 Main Card (Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET)

  • Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
  • Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
  • Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
  • Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
  • John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague

 

UFC 166 Fox Sports 1 Prelims (Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

  • Tim Boetsch vs. CB Dollaway
  • Nate Marquardt vs. Hector Lombard
  • Sarah Kaufman vs. Jessica Eye
  • George Sotiropoulos vs. KJ Noons

 

UFC 166 Online Prelims (UFC.com at 6 p.m. ET)

  • TJ Waldburger vs. Adlan Amagov
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Mike Rio
  • Jeremy Larsen vs. Andre Fili
  • Dustin Pague vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

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Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez: 3 Reasons to Be Excited for This Fight

When we get assignments like this here at Bleacher Report MMA, we often hope they’re this easy. I probably don’t need to explain to you why this bout between former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and the original Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez,…

When we get assignments like this here at Bleacher Report MMA, we often hope they’re this easy. I probably don’t need to explain to you why this bout between former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and the original Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez, is something to get psyched up for, but here we are.

There’s a lot on the line for both fighters here, as Sanchez tries to climb his way back into title relevance while Gilbert Melendez tries to shake off his split-decision loss at the hands of Benson Henderson. Oh, and both fighters are just generally fun to watch, too.

So other than that, why should you get excited to watch this fight? Find out right here!

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UFC 166: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos Staredown Video

At the UFC 166 weigh-in on Friday, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos measured each other up one more time ahead of their rubber match for the heavyweight championship.
There was no shoving or dramatics from either man. No, Velasquez and Dos Santos a…

At the UFC 166 weigh-in on Friday, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos measured each other up one more time ahead of their rubber match for the heavyweight championship.

There was no shoving or dramatics from either man. No, Velasquez and Dos Santos are the types to save the show for the Octagon. Instead, both heavyweights looked completely focused ahead of the most important bout of their careers.

With Dos Santos scoring a knockout in the first meeting between the two and Velasquez dominating their second clash over five rounds, Saturday’s fight between the elite heavyweights could bring a permanent end to the rivalry and cement the winner as one of the best heavyweights in UFC history.

In addition to the staredown between Velasquez and Dos Santos, the above video shows some jawing between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez. The two lightweights will also appear on the UFC 166 main card in a bout that could put the winner very close to a shot at the 155-pound strap.

Being hosted by Houston on Saturday, the full UFC 166 fight card is listed below.

 

UFC 166 Main Card  

  • Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
  • Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
  • Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
  • Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
  • John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague

 

UFC 166 Fox Sports 1 Prelims

  • Tim Boetsch vs. CB Dollaway
  • Nate Marquardt vs. Hector Lombard
  • Sarah Kaufman vs. Jessica Eye
  • George Sotiropoulos vs. KJ Noons

 

UFC 166 Online Prelims

  • TJ Waldburger vs. Adlan Amagov
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Mike Rio
  • Jeremy Larsen vs. Andre Fili
  • Dustin Pague vs. Kyoji Horiguchi 

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UFC 166 Start Time: When and Where to Watch Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3

Featuring a main event as significant and undeniably historic as the third act of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos trilogy, UFC 166 didn’t have to have to action-packed fight card—and yet it does. 
On Saturday night—long before…

Featuring a main event as significant and undeniably historic as the third act of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos trilogy, UFC 166 didn’t have to have to action-packed fight card—and yet it does. 

On Saturday night—long before that heavyweight championship showdown blows the roof off Houston’s Toyota Center—fans will be treated to a series of contests between more explosive fighters than any fight card needs to feature.

Just consider this: The slugger versus veteran showdown laying dormant in Nate Marquardt vs. Hector Lombard had to be squeezed onto the undercard.

Need I say more?

Here’s the full timeline and details for UFC 166’s fight card:

 

In the off chance that typed names—no matter how prominent—don’t get you pumped for a night of fights, here’s something a bit more visual. Courtesy of the UFC’s official YouTube channel, the countdown special for both the main and co-main event really sets the stage.

 

 

Will Velasquez manhandle dos Santos for a second consecutive outing, or will he succumb to a well-timed grenade detonated at the leading end of “Cigano’s” fist? Is Cormier the man to crumble the granite-encased chin that has made Nelson infamous inside the Octagon? 

With less than 24 hours left before showtime, be sure to sound off with your picks in the comments below.

 

Artem Moshkovich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for MMA news and more. 

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Velasquez vs Dos Santos 3: What Other Fighters Are Saying About Epic Third Bout

Cain Velasquez seems to be the overwhelming pick to retain his heavyweight title when he faces Junior “Cigano” dos Santos for a third time at UFC 166 on Saturday. Velasquez was knocked out in their first meeting, but he dominated the rematc…

Cain Velasquez seems to be the overwhelming pick to retain his heavyweight title when he faces Junior “Cigano” dos Santos for a third time at UFC 166 on Saturday. Velasquez was knocked out in their first meeting, but he dominated the rematch to win by unanimous decision.

Though the first two results were split, the interviews featured in the video from MMAInterviews.TV strongly suggest Velasquez is the popular choice.

Check it out.

 

Is it Disrespect for JDS or Respect for Cain?

Despite the fact that Junior dos Santos appears to be the better overall athlete and already owns a win over Velasquez, the images from their second meeting have made the biggest impression. It seems a little disrespectful to dismiss dos Santos so easily, though.

Of the eight fighters who spoke in the video, only Brendan Schaub picked dos Santos to win. Johny Hendricks couldn’t make a decision, but it sounded like he favored Velasquez. 

This massively slanted look at the UFC 166 main event has to serve as even more motivation for dos Santos to regain his title.

One factor that should be noted is that all but one of the fighters interviewed in the video above are American. None of them hail from dos Santos’ home country of Brazil. Had a few of the UFC’s many Brazilian warriors been interviewed, there is a good chance dos Santos would have had a few votes of confidence. 

While Velasquez’s work ethic and efficiency on the ground were noted in the video, it seems there is a bit of a disconnect to dos Santos’ preparation. Velasquez is undoubtedly a man on a mission, but it is foolish to think dos Santos isn’t just as driven.

 

Adding to His Arsenal

In this interview with Bleacher Report’s Ultimate Show, dos Santos talks about his training and wanting to regain his title.

“Cigano” mentions the head kick he used to finish the tough Mark Hunt in his last fight. That technique was a new wrinkle in his game. He is the type of fighter who is so good at one aspect of the sport (boxing), it appeared he didn’t really need to add other dimensions.

The rematch with Velasquez proved he needed to give his opponent more to worry about. From the sound of his interview, he is ready to show how much he’s grown since Velasquez last faced him. 

This could simply be dismissed as a contrary point of view, but Schaub seems to be right on the money with his prediction. Expect a thunderous punch or kick to spell the end of the night for Velasquez and dos Santos will prove the doubters wrong.

 

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