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[Sakara=Excitement]

http://www.cagepotato.com/fight-need...cain-velasquez

After his first-round TKO of Gabriel Gonzaga on Sunday, Junior Dos Santos boldly announced that he was ready for a title shot. But there are some timing-related realities he has to deal with: The interim title fight between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar's return this summer (hopefully), and Cain Velasquez's equally high standing in the heavyweight pecking order. So instead of pleading for a title shot, Dos Santos is angling for the next best thing:


"I don’t know who I’m gonna fight [next]. I’d like to fight against [Cain] Velasquez. He’s a tough guy, but the UFC has other great names too. I just wanna fight against the best and with the best, that’s what I’m waiting from the UFC now. [Velasquez is] a very complete guy. His wrestling is superior than mine, but I think I can surprise him on striking. I’d train a lot of ground game for this fight too, it could make some difference”

Well, we're already sold. Not only would Dos Santos vs. Velasquez establish a legitimate title contender after the Mir/Carwin winner fights Brock Lesnar, there's already a "you killed my master" storyline in place, considering that Velasquez is fresh off his drubbing of JDS's mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Though to hear Dos Santos tell it, payback is not what he's after:

“It’s not about revenge, I’m cool with that, so is Rodrigo. I’d fight Cain for who he is, an undefeated fighter, a great fighter inside the UFC. I’d like to face him because of that. This revenge thing, I think Rodrigo can get that.”
If you ask me, Dos Santos vs. Velasquez is the only heavyweight contender fight that makes sense. But Dana White doesn't seem very hot on the idea — at least not yet. During the UFC on Versus post-fight press conference, DW said he has to wait to see how Mir vs. Carwin shakes out before announcing Junior's next fight:


"They're all going to fight. All these guys in that lineup are going to fight, but we've got to figure out how it's all going to go down. Mir and Carwin are going to get this thing started. We'll see what happens there, and the great thing is, we're a week away from that."

So why would a contenders' match between Dos Santos and Velasquez depend on the outcome of Mir vs. Carwin? Allow us to speculate...

— Maybe Dana doesn't want to eliminate one of his potential title contenders by making them fight each other. Instead, he'll green-light Cain Velasquez for a title shot first, and make Dos Santos knock off one more guy, like the loser of Mir vs. Carwin.

— Maybe Dana feels it's too early for Mir vs. Lesnar III. So, if Mir beats Carwin on Saturday, he'll have to fight either Velasquez or Dos Santos before he gets Brock again, "interim title" be damned.

— Maybe Brock Lesnar isn't ready to return this summer, or needs a non-title tune-up fight first. If this happens, he'd probably be stripped of his title. In that scenario, the Mir/Carwin winner would need somebody to fight. Either Dos Santos or Velasquez would do.

None of these situations are ideal. Hopefully, everyone stays healthy, the interim heavyweight champ fights Lesnar this summer, and Dos Santos and Velasquez are free to fight each other, even if it means one of them gets knocked down a peg on the contender ladder. Doing it any other way means the best aren't fighting the best.

[v3xi]

I think Cain and JDS are the 2 real top HW's in the UFC.

I wouldn't be surprised if JDS was HW champ in a year and defends the title successfully for a long time.

[GL Jeff]

Well why wouldnt JDS want to fight Cain, its a win win for him. While its a lose lose for Cain. Even if JDS lost he would be in the same boat he is now,and would end up fighting Carwin or Mir. But if he won he would get a title shot pretty quickly. But if Cain wins he is still in the same spot, and if he looses he gives up his shot to JDS.

[The Return Of......]

i dont care when they fight as long as all 5 fight. win or lose they should rotate these guys against each other in an order that sort of makes since and give us all great fights at hw for the rest of the year into next year.

[MetallicKnight3X]

this fight should happen. Cain cant stand with Santos and Santos probably will have to avoid the takedown.. but they should bang. And about the comment up top i'd love to see Santos dominate the heavyweight division.. but without proving his ground game and the lack of seeing ground game i think Lesnar would take him down and would pound him out.. i hate to say it but he will, unless the cain vs santos fight happens and he shows he can easily defend the takedown against a high caliber collegiate wrestler i'm gonna say Lesnar will take him anyday til that happens.

[Xanatos]

I would have thought by now that he would have a better ground game, haing trained with Silva and the Nogs for this long. But some people have their own calling, and by god his is his dynamite striking. It'll be a battle of chins i think..

I wonder if Dos Santos could make the cut to LHW. imagine that.

[CapCee]

I can't fathom the idea of Lesnar's fifth UFC fight being a third fight with Frank Mir. There are big named legends in this sport with forty-plus fights under their belt that haven't fought the same guy three times. IMO this would be a severe disservice to the fans and to all the other top HWs. I say give Cain the title shot against Brock (KO'ing Big Nog is more title-worthy than Gonzaga at this point) and give JDS the winner of Mir/Carwin to determine the next contender in line. Loser of Mir/Carwin could possibly face Big Nog or another fringe headliner

[MickeyKnox]

FUCK yeah! JDS knows what time it is.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

He knows he wants to avenge his master.

[The Sensational One]

Originally Posted by CapCee

I can't fathom the idea of Lesnar's fifth UFC fight being a third fight with Frank Mir. There are big named legends in this sport with forty-plus fights under their belt that haven't fought the same guy three times. IMO this would be a severe disservice to the fans and to all the other top HWs. I say give Cain the title shot against Brock (KO'ing Big Nog is more title-worthy than Gonzaga at this point) and give JDS the winner of Mir/Carwin to determine the next contender in line. Loser of Mir/Carwin could possibly face Big Nog or another fringe headliner

I understand there are some 40 plus fights fighter who doesn't fight the same person three times...Oh wait?

Big Nog- Fedor 3x, Heath Herring 3x,

Cro-Cop- Josh Barnett 3x

Wandy- Rampage 3x

Randy- Chuck 3x, Vitor 3x

Tito- Ken Shamrock 3x, will be fighting Chuck for the 3x

Frank Shamrock- Bas Rutten 3x

Ect..


So it is not at all uncommon to fight the same guy 3 times. But i will give you it is uncommon so soon. But that is because of other factors like Brock had an illness which took him out of the fight with Carwin, which in that time Frank beat Kongo and will now challeneg Carwin for the interim title. Brock also had to beat Heath Herring and Randy along with Frank beating Big Nog to have them fight again at UFC 100. So if Frank beats Carwin and faces Brock again it is only right because other than Brock no one has yet to beat him. If someone earns there shot then they earn it, it sucks Brock was out with an illness but what are you going to do, he was out and Frank won and he and Carwin agreed to this bout. So no it is not a diservice to the other heavyweights, nor is it to the fans, i would like to see Brock vs UberMir it seems like a great match.

[CapCee]

Originally Posted by The Sensational One

I understand there are some 40 plus fights fighter who doesn't fight the same person three times...Oh wait?

Big Nog- Fedor 3x, Heath Herring 3x,

Cro-Cop- Josh Barnett 3x

Wandy- Rampage 3x

Randy- Chuck 3x, Vitor 3x

Tito- Ken Shamrock 3x, will be fighting Chuck for the 3x

Frank Shamrock- Bas Rutten 3x

Ect..


So it is not at all uncommon to fight the same guy 3 times. But i will give you it is uncommon so soon. But that is because of other factors like Brock had an illness which took him out of the fight with Carwin, which in that time Frank beat Kongo and will now challeneg Carwin for the interim title. Brock also had to beat Heath Herring and Randy along with Frank beating Big Nog to have them fight again at UFC 100. So if Frank beats Carwin and faces Brock again it is only right because other than Brock no one has yet to beat him. If someone earns there shot then they earn it, it sucks Brock was out with an illness but what are you going to do, he was out and Frank won and he and Carwin agreed to this bout. So no it is not a diservice to the other heavyweights, nor is it to the fans, i would like to see Brock vs UberMir it seems like a great match.

Whoa whoa whoa, I just said that there ARE some. I didn't say it doesn't happen or even that it isn't common. But for his entire career to be Min-Soo Kim, Frank Mir, Randy Couture, Heath Herring, Frank Mir and Frank Mir is just a tad excessive. Don't you think it's fair for Mir to have to beat one more contender before getting another shot while Brock faces another worthy contender before fighting Mir AGAIN? I want to see 265-lb. Mir vs. Lesnar as well. But this isn't your ordinary rubber match. As much as I kinda dislike Lesnar, he got screwed in their first fight. He was in the process of beating the bloody shit out of Mir and got stood up (and a point deduction) for ONE blow to the back of the head. A blow that Mir clearly turned into and caused himself. As good of a martial artist as I believe Mir is, he has Steve Mazzagati to thank for a good portion of his current positioning.