AS VEGAS – Cain Velasquez is not a perfect fighter; Junior dos Santos proved that fairly
conclusively in 64 seconds last year.
But when Velasquez is on top of his game, as he was on Saturday in the
heavyweight title match with dos Santos
at UFC 155, there aren't many heavyweights who could compete with him. Velasquez conclusively proved he's the best heavyweight in the world by putting a frightful five-round beating on dos Santos in front of 12,423 people at MGM Grand Garden to regain the belt he lost on Nov. 12, 2011.
Cain Velasquez celebrates after beating Junior dos Santos. (USA Today Sports) He fought with a fury, relentlessly attacking the power-punching Brazilian, taking out 13 months of frustration with one epic performance. It was by far the best performance of a great career, and it was fueled in large part by a desire to prove a point to those who mocked him after his only loss.
Velasquez was taunted by fans after losing to dos Santos at UFC on Fox 1 in Anaheim, Calif. last year. He remained stoic and tight-lipped in the interim, but it was clear he had heard those words. He responded to them Saturday by taking an elite opponent and sending him to the hospital a bloodied, swollen, beaten mess.