‘UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir’ event review
The main card may have taken a few knocks but last night, ‘UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir’ did not disappoint as an all-heavyweight affair saw the big boys let rip and without a single decision in five fights, it’s safe to say the card went down a storm. From the preliminary card onward, it was a night of stunning finishes and entertaining decisions so as the dust begins to settle on the UFC’s biggest card of the year, MMABay is at hand to round-up the night’s action and take a look at what lies ahead for the winners and losers.
Dos Santos avenges Nogueira, retains title after second round blitz of Mir
While Alistair Overeem’s withdrawal dampened the mood of the main event slightly, Frank Mir was a ready and able contender in his home town of Las Vegas, but despite taking the champion beyond the first round, the veteran found out the hard way that Junior Dos Santos is here to stay. The Brazilian was gunning for revenge after Mir broke the arm of his friend and coach, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and those expecting a cold, calculated approach were right on the money.
In the first round, the champion didn’t explode as expected, instead ‘Cigano’ used the first five minutes to gauge his range but still landed some solid shots on Mir, whose attempts to take the fight to the mat – although few – fell way short of the mark.
A bulky looking Mir seemed lost as round two kicked off, eating some big shots from Dos Santos who eventually landed a right hand that floored the veteran. The Brazilian swarmed Mir with hammerfists and hooks on the ground, hammering out the stoppage at 3:04 of the second round to fortify his status as the world’s best heavyweight while avenging his mentor.
Next for Dos Santos: What can you say about ‘Cigano’? The humble Brazilian is knocking them down faster than the UFC can line ‘em up and Dos Santos adds another fine name to his resume courtesy of his ridiculous punching power. The champ looks unstoppable right now but the good news is that there are plenty of up-and-comers and veterans working towards a title shot, with the word on the street being a rematch between JDS and former champion, Cain Velasquez, in the near future. Whatever comes next, Dos Santos has made his master proud.
Next for Mir: The former champion simply had no answer for the hand-speed and ferocity of the champion and was gracious in defeat as he proclaimed ‘Cigano’ to be the world’s best. Mir can still hang with any top heavyweight and the next logical step would see Zuffa doing what they need to do in order for Josh Barnett’s next fight to be inside the Octagon against the BJJ sensation.
Velasquez destroys ‘Bigfoot’, launches himself back into title picture in co-main event bloodbath
The last time Cain Velasquez fought, the former NCAA wrestling phenom was knocked out in round one by Junior Dos Santos, losing his UFC heavyweight title in the process. Last night, the American Kickboxing Academy man dished out punishment to Brazilian behemoth, Antonio Silva, and spoiled the former Strikeforce giant’s UFC debut.
Strikeforce champion, and training partner of Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, had laid down the blueprint to slaying the giant and although the Mexican-American superstar took a different route the results were the same in Sin City.
Velasquez quickly took the bigger man down off a kick and began unloading with ground and pound from guard, busting ‘Bigfoot’ wide open with a well-placed elbow that led to the canvas being drenched in blood. After a pause for the cut to be checked, Silva was back underneath a relentless Velasquez who hammered his way to a stoppage 3:36 into round one with a torrent of left hands on the ground, shoving the former champ back into the title picture.
Next for Velasquez: The wrestler looked sensational last night, showing a raw aggressive streak that left a much bigger, and skillful, man in ruins. Velasquez literally ran through one of the bigger names in the division and early whispers suggest the former champion will get his rematch with UFC heavyweight champion, Junior Dos Santos, towards the end of the year. A rematch to savour, indeed.
Next for Silva: The big Team Nogueira man has now lost back-to-back fights in devastating fashion but due to his exploits in Strikeforce, ‘Bigfoot’ will get another shot before the year is out. The huge Brazilian is a strong contender to be the man who welcomes Shane Carwin back from injury, and as is usually the cage with Silva, we should be in for a barnburner win or lose.
‘Big Country’ eats Herman for breakfast, finishes ‘Pee Wee’ in first round
Sporting a luxurious beard/mullet combo, former TUF winner Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson meant business last night and the Las Vegas native saved his flagging UFC career with a stunning first round stoppage of Dave ‘Pee Wee’ Herman.
Little of note landed in the first thirty seconds, although the much taller Herman landed a good knee to the portly gut of Nelson but ‘Big Country’ stopped Herman dead with an overhand right to the ear area that sent him crumbling to the canvas. Nelson followed it up, but Steve Mazzagati had seen enough, awarding ‘Big Country’ the TKO stoppage just 51-seconds into the fight.
Next for Nelson: The affable Nelson rebounds impressively from a lopsided decision loss to Fabricio Werdum and immediately becomes a serious contender once again having shown some real killer instinct last night. Expect ‘Big Country’ to return to action this autumn, probably facing knockout artist Mark Hunt or BJJ wizard, Gabriel Gonzaga either of which would be guaranteed fireworks.
Next for Herman: The lanky heavyweight falls to 1-2 in the UFC but even in defeat, Herman’s fights have been entertaining as hell. ‘Pee Wee’ may never become a top contender, but the unpredictable big man can sure put on at least one more entertaining scrap in the promotion – perhaps a fight with Lavar Johnson or Shane Del Rosario lies ahead.
Miocic remains unbeaten, hands Del Rosario his first loss
Two unbeaten prospects met on the main card and former Strikeforce standout, Shane Del Rosario, had a UFC debut to forget as he was exposed by the underog, Croatian-American banger Stipe Miocic.
The early stages of round one saw the decorated kickboxer Del Rosario land some solid kicks to the body as he kept Miocic at bay and seemed comfortable. Del Rosario stalked down the Golden Glovers boxer, throwing an array of hard kicks that seemed close to dropping Miocic but the Ohio resident saw out the round.
However, Del Rosario – who was coming off a car accident that levelled him for a long stretch – was visibly tired as round two began and after securing a takedown, Miocic began throwing caution to the wind as he dropped vicious elbows and forearms from guard. Del Rosario stopped defending himself, prompting Yves Lavigne to intervene at 3:14 of the second frame, handing Miocic a fantastic and unexpected victory.
Next for Miocic: Now 9-0, Miocic has dispatched of some solid heavyweights to date but this really ranks above all for the well-rounded Croat. Quick, decisive and with a solid chin, Miocic should be groomed suitably by Joe Silva as he could be a future contender – a fight with former Strikeforce standout, Shawn Jordan, would be a nice fight to keep Miocic busy.
Next for Del Rosario: No longer undefeated, Del Rosario looked great until his cardio tanked and the striker will surely get another chance to impress before the end of the year. The muay thai stylist could face the burly Christian Morecraft or a UFC newcomer on a minor card in the months ahead.
Struve wins third straight, submits ‘Big’ Lavar in style to climb the heavyweight ladder
6ft 11in Dutchman, Stefan Struve, continued his ascent up the rankings last night as he kicked off the main card with an impressive first round submission of in-form ‘Big’ Lavar Johnson. Flying high with two first round knockout wins to his name since switching from Strikeforce, Johnson took the fight on no more than one week’s notice after Mark Hunt pulled out and his dalliance with the main card lasted just over minute.
Johnson, who usually looks gigantic inside the Octagon, was over-matched in the size department by the towering young Dutchman and despite landing a few solid shots early on, Johnson was dragged into unchartered territory when Struve leapt to guard and latched onto an arm near the base of the cage.
Struve had not even extended the armbar he’d grabbed off his back, before Johnson was calling uncle handing ‘Skyscraper’ the emphatic submission victory, just 1:05 into the fight.
Next for Struve: Three wins on the trot, all by stoppage, is a rare streak in the UFC heavyweight division where any man can finish any other on his night and Struve’s record now stands at 25-5, highly impressive for a 24-year old fighter. ‘Skyscraper’ is ready for a bigger test and could face the winner of July’s clash between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo before the year is out.
Next for Johnson: ‘Big’ Lavar falls to 16-6, and his two-fight streak has been erased but credit to Johnson for playing his part in saving a card rocked by injuries. The knockout artist is clearly a fish out of water on the ground but there’s plenty of entertaining scraps ahead for the Californian perhaps starting with a fight with Dave Herman or Christian Morecraft.
Preliminary Card round-up
An exciting undercard was headlined by a featherweight battle that saw ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ season fourteen winner, Diego Brandao, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in his first post-TUF fight against Indiana’s Darren Elkins. The heavy-handed Brandao looked confident early on and after dropping Elkins with a flying knee and taking side-control, it looked like ‘Ceara’ was en route to another show-stopping victory. But Elkins had other ideas and in round two, the wrestler took down the visibly tiring Brazilian and controlled him for the whole five minutes, levelling the scores on the judges’ scorecards. The final round followed the same pattern, with Elkins securing top position and grinding out the fiery Brandao, winning the round and earning the 29-28 unanimous decision from all three judges.
Next for Elkins: Now 15-2, the featherweight prospect has now edged out a TUF winner and a veteran, Michihiro Omigawa, and while Elkins’ style isn’t the most aesthically pleasing, ‘The Damage’ is getting the job done. A televised slot may not beckon just yet, but Elkins could face the man Brandao beat to win TUF 14, Dennis Bermudez, who has looked very impressive since his stint on the reality show.
Next for Brandao: The Jackson’s MMA man looked a shoe-in to win last night but after blowing his load in an impressive first round, Brandao simply wilted under the pressure. ‘Ceara’ has the natural talent, but he must learn to harness it as it’s clear that Brandao has cardio issues and a smarter gameplan would be nice. Expect the Brazilian bomber to face Eric Wisely or another featherweight on a losing run.
A jaw-dropping lightweight bout saw undefeated Brazilian knockout artist, Edson Barboza, take on former WEC champion and seasoned veteran, Jamie Varner, who made an incredible return to the big stage by handing ‘Junior’ his first ever defeat. Varner, an underdog to be feared, immediately began trading with the muay thai practitioner, and apart from a few slicing legkicks, looked comfortable as he took the Brazilian down a few times and peppered him with ground and pound. With Barboza on rubber legs, Varner landed a big right hand at the cage that folded the Brazilian and ‘C-4′ hammered out the stoppage 3:23 into round one – and to think Varner was not offered a UFC contract after the WEC was dissolved.
Next for Varner: The Arizona native just knocked out an unbeaten prospect who was flirting with the title picture and Varner now becomes an instant contender at 155lbs. The well-rounded veteran could rematch Donald Cerrone in Denver as part of the UFC 150 card in August.
Next for Barboza: The Brazilian loses for the first time and it was decisive, so Barboza will be back in the mix at the lower end of the prelims when he returns later this year. Expect to see Barboza face Rafaello Oliveira for example – an experienced lightweight who should play into the prospect’s strengths.
Middleweight veteran Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller‘s UFC career is officially over, as the grappler dropped a demoralising but clear-cut decision to C.B Dollaway last night and was promptly cut by the promotion. Miller started brightly but after failing to secure a guillotine choke, the loud and proud middleweight was controlled comfortably by Dollaway who edged the round. ‘The Doberman’ was put in trouble in round two, staggering across the cage from a punch by ‘Mayhem’ but the wrestling convert again grounded Miller and took his back, taking a second round. The final round was again, a carbon-copy as Dollaway avoided a few shots before taking Miller down again and riding out the clock while landing smatterings of ground and pound. All three judges swayed in the favour of Dollaway – one by 30-26 – and ‘The Doberman’ salvages his floundering UFC career with a solid unanimous decision victory.
Next for Dollaway: ‘The Doberman’s record isn’t amazing, but he’s just defeated a man who was heavily favoured and has a lot of name recognition, so Dollaway could be given a big push being a former TUF finalist. A great test for the wrestler would be surging Brazilian prospect, Ronny Markes.
Next for Miller: ‘Mayhem’ said he’d retire if he lost to C.B Dollaway and with the UFC already moving to officially cut Miller from the roster, perhaps the veteran should hang them up for good. Miller has been talking of other ventures and will never make ‘UFC money’ again, so it might well be time to bid farewell to the colourful ‘Mayhem’.
Infamous for his recent 0-4 run inside the Octagon, Nottingham’s Dan Hardy faced a stiff test in acclaimed kickboxer, Duane Ludwig, on the prelims but after a tense opening, ‘The Outlaw’ finally got the results and broke his losing streak in emphatic fashion. Hardy didn’t look overly comfortable early on, eating some hard shots from ‘Bang’ and resorted to caging the smaller welterweight whenever possible. After the two brawled apart from the cage midway through round one, Hardy landed a textbook left hook that dropped Ludwig like a stone and the Brit – who momentarily threw up his hands in celebration – dived in and finished the job with elbows. The stoppage was called at 3:51 of round one, handing ‘The Outlaw’ his first victory in almost two years.
Next for Hardy: ‘The Outlaw’ looked great last night and finally gets another knockout to his name, and thankfully we’re going to see Hardy in action for at least another two fights. The UFC heads to Hardy’s home-town in September and you can bet the Brit will be campaigning for a main card slot on that night, possibly facing hard-nosed brawler, Matt Brown.
Next for Ludwig: ‘Bang’ drops his second straight loss in decisive fashion and with his most recent UFC run now standing at 2-3, Ludwig is in danger of being trimmed from the roster in the weeks ahead.
Gentlemen, we truly have a new player at 1-5-5. Undefeated Liverpudlian, Paul Sass, squared off against gritty wrestler Jacob Volkmann on the prelims and abruptly ended the five-fight run of ‘Christmas’ with an unbelievably believable submission. The man known as ‘Sassangle’, due to his ridiculous number of wins by triangle choke, quickly pulled guard on the Minnesota native and gradually inched his way into position, throwing a triangle from nowhere and grabbing an arm for good measure. Volkmann, a talented grappler in his own right, verbally tapped before Sass could torque the hold further, handing the young Scouser the amazing submission victory just 1:54 into the first round.
Next for Sass: Questions were asked about Paul Sass’s ability to hang with high-level grapplers and the Brit answered them with aplomb. Sass looked incredibly calm as he put away a top contender last night and this could be the next ‘marketable’ Brit to get a push from the match-making department. Expect to see the enigmatic Sass, now 14-0, face a top contender such as Evan Dunham in the months to come.
Next for Volkmann: ‘Christmas’ was riding a five-fight win streak and it was shocking – and brilliant,as a Brit – to see Volkmann handled so soundly by a British grappler of all things. The weird but talented lightweight could return to face a veteran like Aaron Riley on a minor card later this year.
There was plenty of hype surrounding light-heavyweight newcomer, Glover Teixeira, who finally made a belated UFC debut last night against tough, well-rounded 205lb’er, Kyle Kingsbury. From the first bell, the Brazilian stalked the taller man and landed some brutal hooks that left Kingsbury’s face bruised up within seconds. Teixeira then dropped ‘Kingsbu’ with an uppercut and forced his way to full mount effortlessly, softerning up the American with more heavy shots before shifting to an arm-triangle choke. The sickeningly tight choke left Kingsbury tapping and limp, and Teixeira picked up a very impressive submission victory at just 1:53 of the first round.
Next for Teixeira: Well, well, well. Teixeira is an instant contender at 205lbs after proving the hype was justified with a complete demolition job of a solid enough light-heavyweight in Kingsbury. We may see the Brazilian bruiser face Igor Pokrajac later this year in what would surely be a televised pay-per-view fight.
Next for Kingsbury:‘Kingsbu’ falls to 11-4 but is still good enough to eliminate the bottom feeders of the UFC light-heavyweight division and the well-rounded Californian could face one of two men planning to drop down to 205lbs – former heavyweights Brendan Schaub and Edinaldo Oliveira.
The first prelim of the night saw former WEC featherweight champion, Mike Thomas Brown, take on the in-form Daniel Pineda who was 2-0 in the UFC with two quick finishes. Experience proved to be the deciding factor in an entertaining but long-winded affair that saw Brown control long spells on the ground and land some nasty ground and pound. Pineda rallied late in the fight and tried desperately to sink in a choke but Brown did enough in the previous two rounds to earn him the 29-28 verdict from all three judges.
Next for Brown: The former champ looked pretty damn good at times last night and clearly Brown still has the fire in the belly to compete with the best of the featherweight division.I’d expect the wrestler to wait for the winner of June’s clash between Ross Pearson and Cub Swanson.
Next for Pineda: ‘The Pit’ kept it competitive and deserves respect for fighing three times already this year. Pineda can hang with the best but needs to tune up his record, so expect to see the Texan face Dustin Neace in the months ahead.
That’s all for ‘UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir‘, a card that despite losing some star names still delivered one of the best nights of mixed martial arts this year. The events keep coming thick and fast, and next weekend it’s the finale of ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ so be sure to hit up MMABay for all your breaking news for that fight card and everything else!
By Steve Davies
Why not tell us what you think about this story and get your thoughts featured in this week’s edition of MMABay Radio? Email Mailbag@mmabay.co.uk, start the subject with the word ‘RADIO MAILBAG’ and we’ll talk about our favourites on the next show.
