Cain Velasquez Thinks Junior Dos Santos Will Beat Alistair Overeem at UFC 146

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a chance to jump right back into title contention when he faces fellow former champion Frank Mir at UFC 146 in late May. 

Despite his status as the heavy betting favorite, Velasquez has a tough fight on his hands. Mir is a crafty veteran and a very good all-around fighter. He has the ability to make you pay dearly if you make a mistake, so Velasquez will need to be on top of his game to come out with a win.

If Velasquez scores the win, he'll face the winner of the main event between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem. Dos Santos, if you'll recall, beat Velasquez last November to capture the belt. So it should come as no surprise that Velasquez picked Dos Santos to beat Overeem when he joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today:

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"I’m hoping dos Santos wins, because I definitely would love a rematch with him," Velasquez said, adding, "I think he will. He’s an athletic guy. His boxing is really good."

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Velasquez went on to detail why he thinks Dos Santos will retain his title:

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"I think in the clinch and in the distance -- obviously the kicking range -- Overeem will have a better shot. But in the punching range, dos Santos can win the fight whenever."

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I agree with Velasquez. If Overeem is able to stay out of the pocket and use his range effectively, there's a very good chance he'll be able to win the fight. But none of Dos Santos' opponents have been able to do that thus far.

Overeem's world-class kickboxing skills will give him a better chance than most at staying away from Dos Santos and his lethal hands, but I'm not sure he can do it long enough to last five rounds—or even stay conscious for more than two rounds.