The last time two heavyweights completed a championship trilogy inside the Octagon, Tim Sylvia bested Andrei Arlovski in a decision at UFC 61 more than seven years ago.
On Saturday, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will meet for the third time, com…
The last time two heavyweights completed a championship trilogy inside the Octagon, Tim Sylvia bested Andrei Arlovski in a decision at UFC 61 more than seven years ago.
On Saturday, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will meet for the third time, completing their own epic trilogy. After Dos Santos quickly knocked out Velasquez in their first meeting, the American exacted revenge on the Brazilian with a five-round beating.
At UFC 166, the tie will likely be broken, and the winner will further cement himself as one of the greatest heavyweights in MMA history.
In addition the the heavyweight championship bout, another heavyweight matchup of great significance will serve as the co-main event. Preparing for a move to 205 pounds, Daniel Cormier will try to remain undefeated inside the Octagon when he meets Roy Nelson.
Weigh-ins for UFC 166 will be held Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET. At that time, live streaming video will be available on the above video player.
Below is the entire fight card for UFC 166, which will take place in Houston on Saturday.
UFC lightweight Diego Sanchez is set to return to the Octagon for the first time since March against possibly his toughest opponent yet, but he’s already eyeing a potential title shot should he win at UFC 166 on Saturday.
In an interview with MMA…
UFC lightweight Diego Sanchez is set to return to the Octagon for the first time since March against possibly his toughest opponent yet, but he’s already eyeing a potential title shot should he win at UFC 166 on Saturday.
In an interview with MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti, The Dream (formerly The Nightmare), said his upcoming opponent, Gilbert Melendez, is his “golden ticket” to a fight against reigning lightweight kingpin, Anthony Pettis.
I’ve done it before. I fought two fights in 2009 at 155. Straight to the belt. (Melendez) has never been stopped. He avenged two of his three losses. His only loss is to Benson Henderson in a split decision that I felt went his way, so in a way I’m fighting a guy who’s almost untainted. And if I go in there, and I stop this guy, I think it makes a real case for a title shot.
Despite the merits of his arguments, however, his wishes are unlikely to transpire considering he’s not even in the top 10 in current UFC rankings.
It’s true, a win against the third-ranked Melendez is likely to catapult him up there. But considering the packed talent in the division, Sanchez, with a 3-3 record in his last six fights, has plenty to do to make a title case whether he’s victorious or not Saturday.
Indeed, his record at 155 pounds looks pretty sketchy overall, especially considering he’s spent most of his career at welterweight. Before this year, he last fought at the weight class in 2009 in a title fight against BJ Penn, when he was TKO’d in the fifth round.
Even in his return to the division this year, against TakanoriGomi, Sanchez’s split-decision win was highly controversial in a fight many would argue should have gone to his opponent.
Melendez, on the other hand, could easily be standing as a champion had his April split-decision loss to then title-holder Ben Henderson gone his way. It’s a fact that Sanchez acknowledged as he explained that El Nino makes for a much tougher opponent than Pettis.
He’s (Melendez) a more well-rounded fighter than Anthony Pettis. I have a lot of respect for the champ, but I don’t see him lasting long in this division. I see him eventually losing his belt and making the drop to 145 to become a multiple weight division champion. The bottom line is, guys are big. Guys are getting big. There’s guys like me, I’m may be walking into the cage at 180 on Saturday night.
That may be, but for Sanchez to leapfrog into a title shot, he’ll still have to contend with the likes of No. 4 ranked TJ Grant, who’s been itching for his shot since he beat Gray Maynard in May.
UFC 166 takes place at the Tokyo Center in Houston, Texas and will be broadcast live on pay-per-view.
UFC.com is calling Saturday’s Cain Velasquez vs. Junior “Cigano” dos Santos heavyweight title bout at UFC 166 “the final chapter,” but what’s to say the loser won’t deserve another rematch once this one is over…
UFC.com is calling Saturday’s Cain Velasquez vs. Junior “Cigano” dos Santos heavyweight title bout at UFC 166 “the final chapter,” but what’s to say the loser won’t deserve another rematch once this one is over?
Cigano is going to regain his title on Saturday. His chin is stronger, and his athleticism and determination will have him prepared and ready to win.He has thwarted 74 percent of the attempts to take him down in the UFC. Although Velasquez had some success against Dos Santos in stand-up in their last meeting, his best bet is to take Cigano to the mat.
If he can’t get him there, it is hard to imagine Velasquez winning another stand-up battle.
The third meeting in their rivalry takes place on Saturday in the Toyota Center in Houston.
Cigano flattened Velasquez in their first fight in 2011, but Velasquez used a big first round to coast to a unanimous decision over Dos Santos in their 2012 rematch. Velasquez landed a couple of titanic punches on Cigano, but he couldn’t finish him. Dos Santos will carry that redeeming value into this fight.
Right now, Dos Santos and Velasquez seem to be head and shoulders above the rest of the heavyweights in the world. Roy Nelson and Daniel Cormier could have something to say about that, but both men would be underdogs in a match against Dos Santos or Velasquez.
The winner of the Nelson vs. Cormier co-feature will have the right to challenge the man who emerges from UFC 166 as champion. However, if Nelson or Cormier can’t take advantage of the opportunity, where does that leave the heavyweight title picture?
Fabricio Werdum is ranked third, but he’s almost exclusively a submissions fighter whom fans won’t love. While he defeated an old and seemingly disinterested Fedor Emelianenko in Strikeforce, he’d be a big underdog against Dos Santos or Velasquez.
Travis Browne is somewhat interesting because of his size and height, but he needs a big win before anyone believes he can become champion.
Lastly, there is Josh Barnett, who is a former champion but long in the tooth. He’s looked good in his return to the UFC, but he hasn’t faced the likes of Dos Santos and Velasquez.
It is easy to expect both men to separate themselves from the pack again. Assuming the loser of Saturday’s main event remains active, will Dana White play keep-away with a fourth fight simply because we’ve seen them clash three times?
The second fight between the two men came about when Velasquez smashed his way through Antonio Silva to earn a rematch. Likewise, Dos Santos knocked out Mark Hunt to prove he was ready to meet his archrival again.
Even if Dos Santos loses but proves again that no other heavyweight can handle him, wouldn’t he deserve another shot?
In other weight classes with more parity, this may not be an issue. In the heavyweight division, however, there aren’t enough good fighters to make Velasquez or Dos Santos wait his turn for too long. If the UFC is to adhere to a standard of excellence in regard to matchmaking, we’ll likely see Dos Santos vs. Velasquez IV somewhere down the line.
To retain his title at UFC 166 on Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Cain Velasquez needs to take Junior “Cigano” dos Santos to the mat. Velasquez valiantly traded with Dos Santos in their last meeting after being knocked out in their first enco…
To retain his title at UFC 166 on Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Cain Velasquez needs to take Junior “Cigano” dos Santos to the mat. Velasquez valiantly traded with Dos Santos in their last meeting after being knocked out in their first encounter.
In the first fight, Dos Santos landed a hard right hand high on Velasquez’s head, which spelled the beginning of the end. An explosive left hook from Velasquez hurt Dos Santos in the first round of the second fight, but he couldn’t finish him.
Many were amazed that Dos Santos survived the round, let alone the fight. While he had the wherewithal to continue, he had lost the stamina to be dangerous. Velasquez dominated the rounds and won his title back.
In the third bout, Cigano will be looking to strike first and avoid being dragged to the mat. Velasquez is one of the best ground-and-pound fighters in the sport.
To prepare properly for the bout, Dos Santos knew he had to add more layers to his attack. He talked about that in this interview with Bleacher Report’s Ultimate Show.
Because he’s a better natural athlete than Velasquez, he has a higher ceiling. He showed a bit of that with the spin kick he used to drop Mark Hunt in his last fight.
Cigano also sports a 74 percent takedown defense rate in his UFC career. His game is getting more well-rounded, and that means trouble for Velasquez. While no other heavyweight in the world is likely capable of beating him, Velasquez will take his second loss to Cigano.
Here are predictions for the other four fights scheduled for the main card at UFC 166.
John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague
Speed is the operative word in the flyweight division. Few fighters in the world are as swift and explosive as Dodson. He was the only fighter who was able to keep pace with Demetrious Johnson.
Though Dodson lost that fight, he made an excellent account of himself. Matched against UFC newcomer Darrell “The Mongoose” Montague, Dodson’s speed advantage should be huge.
Montague has won four fights in a row and has only two losses total. However, in his last loss, he fell to Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall. The latter used his speed and varied attacks to get the better of Montague. He controlled most of the wrestling exchanges and ultimately submitted Montague with a rear-naked choke.
It isn’t Dodson’s style to chase a submission, but he’s even faster than McCall. He will use his speed to land early and often against Montague, despite a three-inch height disadvantage.
Look for an impressive KO win by Dodson.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
Gonzaga could look to make this fight easy by taking Jordan to the mat, but in an effort to make a statement, he could try to stop his rugged and dangerous opponent.
“Napao’s” submission game is far beyond Jordan’s. He has captured nine of his 15 wins by submission, and he’s two inches taller. Though Gonzaga has advanced Brazilian jiu-jitsu to fall back on, his most memorable wins have come by knockout.
He destroyed Mirko Filipovic with a head kick in 2007 and knocked out Dave Herman in 17 seconds in July. With Jordan bringing the fight to him, look for another spectacular KO win from the well-rounded Gonzaga.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
This bout has a good chance to be the Fight of the Night. Melendez is a solid, technically efficient fighter who is tough to hit and take down. He defended 100 percent of the takedowns attempted and avoided 52 percent of the strikes from Benson Henderson in his lone UFC bout.
This slickness should serve him well against the aggressive and tough Sanchez. A veteran of eight years in the UFC, Sanchez has won five Fight of the Night bonuses. His only chance to win this fight is to turn it into a brawl.
Melendez doesn’t like to fight at a scrambling pace, but mayhem is where Sanchez thrives. Look for this bout to have a little of everything with both men having their moments.
In the end, Melendez’s defense and technical striking will result in a victory in one of the best fights on the card.
Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
Who will get the winner of Velasquez vs. Dos Santos? The Nelson vs. Cormier co-feature will determine who’s next in line. Nelson may not look the part, but he is a well-rounded—no pun intended—fighter with great wrestling and big-time power.
Cormier is technically solid with fast hands and elite grappling, but the power edge favors Nelson. For Cormier to win, he’ll need to either stay inside of Nelson’s reach and take his chances in the grappling game, or move in and out to utilize his quickness advantage.
The latter strategy will use a ton of energy, and judging by his stamina level against Frank Mir in his last fight, Cormier isn’t exactly long in the wind department.
Ultimately, “Big Country” will catch Cormier or gain dominant top position with his technique and girth. The next title shot will belong to Nelson after he submits Cormier late in the fight.
Follow me for musings on MMA, boxing, the WWE, the NBA and sports video games.
With two of the most devastating heavyweights completing their trilogy at UFC 166 on Saturday, it’s hard to look past the main event as the highlight of the show. But when you look further down the card, one other fight promises more fireworks.
I…
With two of the most devastating heavyweights completing their trilogy at UFC 166 on Saturday, it’s hard to look past the main event as the highlight of the show. But when you look further down the card, one other fight promises more fireworks.
In the third bout from the top, Diego Sanchez returns to lightweight for the second time this year against the man whom many consider to be the rightful 155-pound champion, Gilbert Melendez. This match has “Fight of the Night” written all over it, and not only because Sanchez has achieved that honour in five of his last eight fights.
Melendez brings a pace and ferocity to the table that none of Sanchez’s recent opponents have brought. He’s a 24-fight veteran of the sport and a former WEC and Strikeforce champion who isn’t afraid to fight in the pocket. As a result, we’re likely to see plenty of that action this weekend.
Of course, they will have their work cut out for them, especially considering the four heavyweights colliding above them on the card.
Roy Nelson and Daniel Cormier’s fight in the co-main event is full of potential, too. Nelson throws bombs, and some of Cormier’s fights, particularly in Strikeforce, were barn burners.
Who can forget how he brutally dismantled the giant Antonio Silva? Fresh off his victory against FedorEmelianenko, Cormier TKO’ed the Brazilian inside the first round.
Or how he threw the veteran Josh Barnett around like a rag doll during Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix final?
But then again, Cormier’s UFC debut against Frank Mir earlier in the year was a snoozefest, and there’s every chance we could be treated to more “humping” against the cage when he faces Nelson, considering “Big Country’s” punching power and his submission game.
The only other fight that could steal the show is the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos main event.
Both their previous encounters were thrilling affairs for different reasons. The first fight featured Dos Santos’ flash knockout of the champion, and in the second one, Velasquez mauled “Cigano” for five rounds.
The lower weight classes may provide pace and aggression, but nothing can compare to watching two behemoths clash like wild beasts.
Whether we’ll be treated to a primal encounter remains to be seen, and the chances of Sanchez claiming his sixth Fight of the Night award in the UFC against Melendez are up in the air as well. But considering the two lightweight talents going head-to-head at UFC 166, they’re the likeliest to steal the show from the heavyweights.
Roy Nelson is truly in a league of his own.
The iron-chinned heavyweight with cinder blocks for hands has been a staple at the highest level of the sport for the better part of the past decade, and his ability to dish out one-punch destruction has made…
The iron-chinned heavyweight with cinder blocks for hands has been a staple at the highest level of the sport for the better part of the past decade, and his ability to dish out one-punch destruction has made him a favorite with the mixed martial arts fanbase.
“Big Country” is easily one of the most recognizable figures in the sport. The grizzled prowess of his “mountain man” beard and the luxurious spill of his mullet have helped to elevate a profile initially created by his ability to best the opposition inside the cage. These elements have ultimately been amplified by Nelson’s brutal honesty where soundbites are concerned as the 37-year-old has developed a reputation for being one of the gamest interviews in all of MMA.
With that in mind, there is perhaps no person more suited for this series than he.
As a writer who has made a career out of doing interviews and features, I have come to learn that timing means everything. When fighters are locked in the repetitive media grind of fight week or in the middle of cutting weight, there are times when getting through a basic pre-fight interview can be a grueling affair for both parties involved.
Sometimes there is simply a need to switch things up. Sometimes things need to travel off the beaten path for the sake of refreshment.
With the buzz surrounding Saturday’s card for UFC 166, the media attention across the MMA landscape has been fast and furious, which guarantees the major players involved have been subjected to a revolving door of interviews and topics. And Nelson is certainly in this collective.
The anticipation surrounding his co-main event tilt with Daniel Cormier this Saturday, the former TUF winner has certainly been subjected to the process. And when the opportunity to get some time with the heavyweight knockout artist arose, I decided to take things in a different direction.
To little surprise, Nelson was ready for everything Bleacher Report had to thrown his way and this is what transpired.
As a longtime practitioner of martial arts, you are an avid fan of old school kung fu and karate movies. In your educated opinion, between Enter the Dragon and Bloodsport, which movie reigns supreme?
That depends on how cheesy you like your movies and how deep into martial arts you are. If you are in-depth about your martial arts then you go with Enter the Dragon. If you just like to watch fights like the the average UFC fan, then Bloodsport will do. Both movies serve a purpose, though. If you have roots in martial arts and it’s in your blood, you go with Bruce Lee because the martial arts in that movie is more technical. Bloodsport is more of your introductory class in the same way The Karate Kid was. Those movies will get you into it, Enter the Dragon will show you how it is done.
I also understand you are getting into the action genre as well with a recent role in The Scorpion King 4. Is there any truth to these rumors that you are expanding your talents into the realm of action flicks?
I went over to Romania, started my acting career and I’m moving on up.
Did you get to punch or kick anything?
I used swords and threw some punches but no kicks.
Your beard has become a signature trademark. Some great men throughout history have rocked the beard, and with that in mind, who do you believe set the standard where beards are concerned?
For great men…let’s go with Jesus. He’s the most famous and he had a great beard. He did have a little bit of an unfair advantage though.
Little known fact but you were quite the baseball player before you decided to dedicate yourself to a career in mixed martial arts. I’ve often heard fighters talk about connecting on a knockout punch say it felt as if they were punching through something and not the devastating impact it appeared to be. Baseball players say similar things when describing launching a home run. As a man who has done both, is this something you can validate?
You’re definitely trying to hit the home run, but at the same time, when you connect it just goes right through. It’s the same thing with a knockout punch. You hit the sweet spot and they go right out. But the home run is the better of the two because it takes less of a toll on your body.
Speaking of baseball, your fight this Saturday will take place in Houston. The Astros have been struggling for the better part of two decades. Do you think you have the skills to play for the Houston franchise?
Probably not. It’s been awhile since I picked up the bat and took a few swings.
If you had three months to get into form, do you think you could at least get in their farm system for AAA ball?
You know…that’s definitely a possibility. I know the last time I threw the first pitch at a baseball game I got it over the plate. I threw a perfect strike right down the middle. I didn’t have a problem throwing it. That’s better than a lot of people who throw opening pitches at baseball games and I only needed a couple of practice throws on the side to warm up my arm. I threw it right down the pipe.
I was at a post-fight press conference once where you said MMA media should be held to the same standards the fighters we cover. If we write two bad articles we should face the possibility of unemployment the same way a fighter would inside the cage. Do you still hold this view or has it changed in the past year?
I think with writers it all depends, but I still keep them to that standard of two bad articles. If it’s two bad articles about the same topic then something needs to be done because they obviously didn’t learn the first time. It’s a bit different in fighting because with a different opponent, the game changes a little bit.
Let’s say if a someone writes a dumb article about me and then turns around and then does one about Cain Velasquez, I’ll give them a bit of a pass. But if they were to write two bad articles on either Cain or I, then there is obviously something that is lacking in the progress department because now they’ve written back-to-back bad articles on the same subject.
You became a father last year and as a proud family man, I’m sure the experience was “hands on” from the get go. As a father myself, I know the initial four months with a newborn can be a hazy experience and I’m wondering which is more difficult: Surviving the opening stages of parenthood or the rigors of an MMA training camp?
Definitely training camp. Being a father is easy because it’s something you want to do. It’s fun and it’s all worth it.
Having been born in raised in Las Vegas, you can maybe shed light on one of the city’s great mysteries. Is there any truth to the phrase “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” Or is it simply a promotional tool?
That depends on what you do and it’s definitely circumstantial. If you have a bad night where you mess around and catch herpes, that’s going home with you. That is the gift that keeps on giving.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
UFC.com is calling Saturday’s