Junior Dos Santos lets his hands go in UFC heavyweight title fight against Cain Velasquez
JUNIOR DOS SANTOS THE NEW UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION AFTER FLOORING AND STOPPING CAIN VELASQUEZ IN 64 SECONDS
Junior Dos Santos emphatically took the UFC heavyweight title by stopping Cain Velasquez in 1 minute 4 seconds of the opening round in Anaheim, California.
It was as quick as it was brutal. Dos Santos signalled his intent with two long straight right hands which landed heavily on Velasquez in the opening salvos, Velasquez scoring with a pair of leg strikes. But then that huge booming right hand hook of Dos Santos landed flush to the side of the champion's head to scramble his senses. He was floored. Dos Santos dropped onto him and threw 11 unanswered punches as Velasquez covered up.
It was all over…huge emotion from both men in the Octagon. Velasquez had looked tense and nervous in the minutes leading up to the start. This was not the fighter who did for Brock Lesnar a year ago.
Dos Santos, however, looked magnificent. Velasquez was a 7-to-4 favourite coming into this fight, and had not fought since winning the title due to surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
There was the feeling in the build-up to this event that this could be Velasquez’s coming-out party in front of a terrestrial TV audience, which could have established him as a star to the Latin American community. Velasquez was the first Mexican heavyweight champion in a combat sport.
“I have no words to say what I’m feeling,” an emotional Dos Santos said. “It’s amazing, my life. I want to thank all of my team, all my family, I’ve got a lot of good people around me. Thank you very much.”
A desperately disappointed Velasquez said: “I’m sorry for all the fans, my family and my friends that I disappointed you. I will come back. I will get this belt back for sure.”
Dos Santos will now face the winner of the December 30 fight between UFC neophyte Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas. What will be intriguing is how 40 minutes of hype followed by 64 seconds of action will be viewed on American network television.
BEN HENDERSON STRIKES CLAIM TO UFC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT AFTER DEFEATING CLAY GUIDA
In an action-packed fight, Henderson defeated Guida to stake his claim to a lightweight title shot against Frankie Edgar.
While only the night's heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos aired on FOX, the entire nine-bout preliminary card streamed on Facebook and FOXSports.com.
Early in the opening stanza, Henderson dropped Guida with a right hand. Guida worked for a single-leg takedown, but Henderson defended it, attacking Guida to the body. Guida attempted a guillotine choke – Henderson escaped, and threw a knee and kick to the body.
As expected, the frenetic pace continued into the second. Henderson scored the takedown. Guida scrambled, Henderson took Guida's back and worked for a rear-naked choke that was cut short by the end of the round.
Henderson closed the distance in a competitive third round and forced Guida against the Octagon wall, delivering some fine short elbows. Henderson continued scoring with knees and elbows, but then Guida forced Henderson to the canvas, and and worked away for a guillotine choke, but was unable to succeed. Henderson took the fight via decision, 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 on the cards. "He's super hard to deal with," Henderson said. "But Frankie Edgar, we've got it. Let's do it baby." Henderson deserves his shot.
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