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It is now safe to say Cain Velasquez has Junior dos Santos’ number.
Since suffering a 64-second knockout in their first meeting, Velasquez has dominated the Brazilian in nearly all 48 minutes of their subsequent rematches. Their Oct. 19 encounter at UFC 166 was not unlike the main event of UFC 155, with Velasquez giving little ground for dos Santos to unload with his powerful boxing. The champion’s close-quarters brutality -- and eventual fifth-round stoppage after dumping dos Santos on his head to defend a choke -- proved without a doubt what most already believed: Velasquez is simply on another level from the rest of the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.
Velasquez’s American Kickboxing Academy teammate, Daniel Cormier, also solidified his reputation as a top-tier big man at UFC 166 with a three-round pummeling of Roy Nelson. Cormier’s spot in the heavyweight top 10 may soon be vacant, however, as the former Olympic wrestler has announced plans to move down to 205 pounds in the near future.
UFC 166 was full of fights with possible title implications. At the other end of the scale, John Dodson made his case for another title shot by drubbing former Tachi Palace Fights champ Darrell Montague, while Gilbert Melendez maintained his spot near the top of the lightweight heap with a unanimous decision win in a thriller with Diego Sanchez.
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