by Gila
Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez
Pick: Dos Santos
Rewind to November 2011, when Junior Dos Santos shocked the world against Cain Velasquez and took his heavyweight title on primetime television, courtesy of the UFC’s debut on FOX. Many viewers including UFC President Dana White were surprised to see Cain Velasquez “didn’t follow his gameplan” and opted to stay on his feet and strike against the Brazilian behemoth. Velasquez did nothing wrong in opting to start the fight on the feet because that is where all fights start. Velasquez also knows that he couldn’t go for immediate takedowns and continue with one after another because he knows the fight simply does not consist of that one aspect. The truth is Dos Santos is that damn good and caught Velasquez not because he was not taken down but because he hit the former champion, hurt him and then finished him.
Dos Santos has the best boxing in the UFC and his fast, razor-sharp combinations can inflict damage on anyone in the heavyweight division. A looming factor from their first fight is Velasquez’s knee injury and how he did not pull out of the fight. If that is in fact a big factor as to why he lost last year, which will be proven in their rematch. Velasquez has the best cardio the heavyweight division has ever seen and he is also one of the faster heavyweights in recent memory. The AKA product must start the fight guns blazing and push the pace – forcing Dos Santos to fight his fight. The first fight was only over a minute long and did not tell the world very much of what to expect on Saturday night. It is not as if Dos Santos is the only one with speed and power in his fists – Velasquez is more than capable of hurting Dos Santos the same way and finishing the fight as well.
We have not seen Dos Santos on his back for more than a quarter of a minute and Velasquez is more probable to take him down in this fight and inflict the damage he did in his return fight against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. The Team Nogueira fighter will be more cautious that usual at the start and must expect for Velasquez to capitalize on an early mistake. Dos Santos will need to create distance as Velasquez will be coming forth but the Brazilian will also be looking to lure the former champion into a powerful shot, capable of ending the fight much like their first meeting.
Both fighters have gotten better from their first fight and there are a handful of questions leading up to their rematch. Anything can happen in this fight and the outcome is somewhat unpredictable – making this fight the most intriguing and important heavyweight fight in UFC history.
Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller
Pick: Miller
This salivating co-main event matchup consists of two submission specialists who will be eager to have their name thrown into the lightweight title picture after Saturday night. Joe Lauzon may have the best submission skills in the UFC although it is not impossible for him to be submitted, as previous fighters such as George Sotiropoulos and Raphael Assuncao have shown in the past. Jim Miller can also serve up his fair share of submissions of his own and should not be underestimated or thought as the lesser of the two in terms of putting an opponent to sleep or making him tap.
What is truly unique about this affair is that both Lauzon and Miller have the fists to hurt each other and the result of this bout may be determined by that. Lauzon and Miller have both been caught by strikes but Miller has never been knocked out or finished in his entire career. Lauzon will need to work towards finding the submission and hopes that Miller eventually succumbs to the Massachusetts native’s limb work but Miller’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt may serve as a road block.
More UFC 155 predictions on the jump…
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