Last night the UFC held its first free card on FOX Television following the multi-year deal Dana White and company just signed. They showcased two of the best heavyweights on their roster, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The fight didn’t disappoi…
Last night the UFC held its first free card on FOX Television following the multi-year deal Dana White and company just signed. They showcased two of the best heavyweights on their roster, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The fight didn’t disappoint.
On paper, this fight looked like it could be going the way of the champion. His tremendous cardio and wrestling skills looked like they would be too much to handle for Dos Santos.
Dos Santos’ best skill is his boxing ability, but many questioned how much he would get to use it.
Dos Santos further cemented his ability as a top striker, and proved that his takedown defense is atop the division. JDS hit Velasquez with a big right hand in the first round, and finished off the champion methodically.
Dos Santos appears to just be a really good striker who lands knockout punches, but his gameplanning can’t be overlooked.
Velasquez is a top-level wrestler, and is a nightmare when he gets the fight to the ground. Dos Santos knew this, and used good footwork to keep at a distance. By staying a comfortable distance and going in and out with strikes, Dos Santos kept Velasquez at a place where he would have to telegraph a takedown attempt.
Dos Santos also threw a lot of straight right hands when the two fighters got close. This quicker punch made it difficult for Velasquez to counter or go for the shot. JDS also mixed punches to the head and the body, which kept Velasquez on his toes.
By being able to keep the fight standing, Dos Santos had it right where he wanted it. Less than a minute into the first round, he threw a big overhand right that knocked Velasquez down.
Once Velasquez hit the mat, Dos Santos made sure to maintain control and throw accurate shots from the top. This was very smart, because if Velasquez had managed to recover it would have been a different fight on the ground.
Dos Santos still has questions surrounding his takedown defense and ground game, but so far, it looks impenetrable. If the new champion can keep his fights standing, the UFC heavyweight division could be in for a lot more knockouts.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for post-fight analysis of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight card. Also, be sure to check out our fight card hub page for news and opinion on the entire UFC on FOX fight card.
Cain Velasquez fell to Junior dos Santos in his first title defense of his UFC heavyweight championship reign, but he will definitely come back stronger than he appeared in this fight.
Velasquez entered this fight with a few hurdles in front of him bes…
Cain Velasquez fell to Junior dos Santos in his first title defense of his UFC heavyweight championship reign, but he will definitely come back stronger than he appeared in this fight.
Velasquez entered this fight with a few hurdles in front of him besides the overhand right of Junior dos Santos. Velasquez had a knee injury that hindered him during training (but then again, so did JDS). He also had shoulder surgery that he may or may not have been 100 percent recovered from during his training. These aren’t excuses, just the facts. With those facts, expect a healthier Velasquez in his next fight.
In his next fight, Velasquez will also be more relaxed and any ring rust that he may have had will have surely worn off by that time. His next fight won’t be a high-profile network television debut, so the pressure won’t be on as much. He’ll be able to get back to what he does best—beat people up in the octagon.
Fighters often say they learn more in a loss than they do in a win. If this is true, this is a great teaching point for the young superstar heavyweight. Stick to the game plan. For some reason, Velasquez thought he could stand and trade with the superior striker JDS. He was sadly mistaken and loss his belt because of this. You can rest assured that Velasquez won’t make that mistake ever again.
Velasquez will be back in the title mix; that’s a definite. He’s too talented not to be. How he will treat his second ascent is yet to be determined.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for post-fight analysis of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight card. Also, be sure to check out our fight card hub page for news and opinion on the entire UFC on FOX fight card.
It took just 64 seconds for Cain Velasquez to lose his UFC heavyweight title last night at the inaugural UFC on FOX main event. Everyone who has followed Junior Dos Santos’ career knew that all it would take is one solid punch for him to steal Ve…
It took just 64 seconds for Cain Velasquez to lose his UFC heavyweight title last night at the inaugural UFC on FOX main event.
Everyone who has followed Junior Dos Santos’ career knew that all it would take is one solid punch for him to steal Velasquez’s belt away, and Dos Santos waited little time on landing the aforementioned shot, dropping Cain with a hard right hand and following up with some ground and pound to earn his first UFC championship.
The loss is obviously a setback for Velasquez, who was undefeated going into the fight, but just how badly did the loss hurt the former champion?
Honestly, not as bad as one might think.
The heavyweight division, while stronger than it has ever been, is still one of the weakest divisions in the UFC and a loss is only going to knock a marketable fighter like Velasquez just one or two fights back from another shot at regaining his belt.
After losing to Dos Santos, Velasquez should still be considered the second best fighter in the division, at least until a winner is decided between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in December.
While Overeem will have earned his spot as the second best heavyweight in the world if he defeats Lesnar, the same cannot be said for Brock, who has not won since being bested by Velasquez at UFC 121 last October.
While the loss may seem like the end of the world for Velasquez and his fans at the moment, the big picture shows that it is just a minor setback and that he is still just a win or two away from getting another shot at Dos Santos and winning back his claim as the top heavyweight in the sport.
My popcorn wasn’t even ready. Almost as soon as it started, the biggest television event in MMA history ended when challenger Junior dos Santos knocked incumbent Cain Velasquez unconscious to capture the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC on Fox 1.Not…
My popcorn wasn’t even ready. Almost as soon as it started, the biggest television event in MMA history ended when challenger Junior dos Santos knocked incumbent Cain Velasquez unconscious to capture the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC on Fox 1.
Not even a minute into the fight, an overhand right from dos Santos sent Velasquez to the floor. Dos Santos swarmed him with punches and at 1:04 of the round, we had a new belt holder.
So what did we learn? I guess you could say we learned five things, which I might categorize as follows:
What we’ll remember about this fight:
Just how fast it was over. Not only did dos Santos land that damaging right hand with only 55 seconds elapsed in the fight, he also charged in and ended it for good only nine seconds later.
What we learned about Cain Velasquez:
That he can be gotten.
What we learned about Junior dos Santos:
That he can get anyone.
What’s next for dos Santos:
A long, getting-to-know-you media tour. The guy just had a star-making turn. Now it’s time to actually make that star.
As far as fights, the UFC recently announced that the winner between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 would get the next title shot. Looks like the hits are gonna keep on coming at the top of the heavyweight division.
What’s next for Velasquez:
The Lesnar-Overeem loser seems like a natural option. If he can defeat Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140, Frank Mir may be another possibility.
Want a dark horse option? Allow me to submit for your consideration one Cheick Kongo, who once gave Cain fits in the standup phase and remains the only fighter to go the distance with Velasquez.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC on FOX. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight card, from pre-fight predictions, toin-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis. Also be sure to check out our fight card hub page for news and opinion on the entire UFC on FOX fight card.
The first UFC on Fox event had a highly anticipated match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos scheduled for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.Many first-time fans tuned in for the event to really get a taste of what the UFC was all about.They l…
The first UFC on Fox event had a highly anticipated match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos scheduled for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Many first-time fans tuned in for the event to really get a taste of what the UFC was all about.
They left knowing about the same amount.
The heavyweight bout ended 1:04 into the first round with a knockout win by Velasquez.
That was it for the night. UFC on Fox did not have any other scheduled bouts for the event. The preliminary events were all shown on Facebook.
After 59 minutes of talking and one minute of fighting, we have to ask the question: Was this bout bad for the UFC?
Fans who were watching for the first time didn’t get to experience a true MMA fight with the typical battle.
Imagine if one of the preliminary fights was shown instead. The lightweight bout between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson that took place before the main event was one of the most exciting UFC fights I’ve ever watched.
I watched that fight on Facebook. I really doubt that the majority of first-time watchers did the same.
Henderson to get next title shot After his impressive three round decision victory over Clay Guida, Ben Henderson made his intentions clear—he wants his opportunity to be the UFC lightweight champion. At the post-fight press conference, Dana Whi…
Henderson to get next title shot
After his impressive three round decision victory over Clay Guida, Ben Henderson made his intentions clear—he wants his opportunity to be the UFC lightweight champion.
At the post-fight press conference, Dana White confirmed the matchup.
“They’re both exciting fighters,” White said of Frankie Edgar and Henderson. “Them being the main event in Japan? It should be a great fight.”
The UFC will be heading to Japan to have an event at Pride FC’s former stomping grounds of Super Saitama Super Arena on February 26, 2012.
A smiling Henderson is eagerly anticipating the fight.
“I think it’s a great matchup,” Henderson said. “Obviously, I’m very confident. I think I match up very well. Frankie and I are going to put on a great show.”
Georges St-Pierre on Nick Diaz
In one of the most anticipated UFC welterweight title fights in the company’s history, Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.
“Very excited,” St-Pierre told Bleacher Report’s Gary Herman. “It’s the fight I want to have, and it’s the fight people want to see.”
Diaz got the desired fight after his public outburst following his three-round domination of BJ Penn.
“I don’t think Nick Diaz is a bad person,” St-Pierre said. “I think he’s very smart. He knows how to get what he wants—a title shot.”
With the fight about three months away, St-Pierre already has a prediction for the matchup.
“It’s going to be Georges St-Pierre winning the fight.”
Melendez vs. Edgar
With many of Strikeforce’s top fighters joining the UFC, the top star still left in Strikeforce may very well be Gilbert Melendez.
A few months ago, Melendez was very close to joining the UFC.
“I can’t lie,” Melendez said. “I got pumped on it too. I reached out to Dana and said, ‘I’m ready when you are.’ but that’s just talk. Nothing is set in stone until it’s written on the contract.”
However, coming over to the UFC did not happen, and now Melendez is set to take on Strikeforce No. 1 contender Jorge Masvidal.
“I think he’s tough,” the Strikeforce lightweight champion said. “He’s real talented, but the more and more I watch tape on him—the more I see holes that I can expose.”
Should Melendez be successful against Masvidal, he wants to be in the sport’s top promotion.
“I want to be the UFC champ,” Melendez said. “That’s my goal. When you’re the UFC champ, you’re number one in the world. The goal is to be in the UFC ASAP.”
The big reward for Melendez coming over would be a fight with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Melendez is very confident that he will perform well in a title unification match.
“I think he’s an amazing fighter,” Melendez said, “but does he look like he can’t be dethroned? No. Is he untouchable? No. We’ve seen how to beat him for one round, but can you keep it for two or three? I think I can keep it up for five.”
Return to Kongo
Back in June 2009, Cain Velasquez defeated Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision. From that point, Velasquez went on to win three more fights and the UFC heavyweight championship.
Kongo, however, has not forgotten their match. After defeating Matt Mitrione at UFC 137, Kongo openly campaigned for a rematch with Velasquez. Kongo even went as far as to say Valesquez’s victory over him was a fluke.
Now, Following his defeat at the hands of Dos Santos, Velasquez responded to Kongo’s challenge.
“For sure,” Velasquez said, when asked if he wanted the rematch. “If that will get me back to where I want to be? Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Only one fight
A complaint from many of the UFC fans coming into the promotion’s debut on Fox was that the network would only be televising one fight. That was especially a problem with the scintillating Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight situated on the undercard and off TV.
White offered a simple explanation as to why.
“We’re not in a deal with Fox yet,” White said, inferring that Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos was a bonus fight for the fans. “Our deal doesn’t start until January. This was a welcome to UFC on Fox deal.”
As far as showing the Guida vs. Henderson, White said, “This was never part of the deal.”
Career Saved
In his preliminary fight against former WEC champion Cole Escovedo, Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres was in an absolute must-win situation. Caceres had gone 0-2 in his first two UFC fights (0-3 if you include his last fight on the Ultimate Fighter reality show).
“This was my third fight under the UFC banner,” Caceres said, “and considering that I lost my first two, I knew that tonight it was do or die.”
Coming into the matchup with Escovedo, Caceres was nearly a 3:1 underdog.
Nevertheless, Caceres pulled off the victory with a dominant unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 30-27. With the win, Caceres assures himself another chance with the promotion.
“It’s my dream to fight in the UFC and I want to make sure it lasts as long as possible.”
Last night the UFC held its first free card on FOX Television following the multi-year deal Dana White and company just signed. They showcased two of the best heavyweights on their roster, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The fight didn’t disappoint.