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UFC 131 Results See Junior dos Santos Defeat Shane Carwin, But How Does He Stack Up Compared To Cain Velasquez

Junior dos Santos was already the No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight championship after he defeated Roy Nelson last year. But he didn’t want to wait for champion Cain Velasquez to recover from surgery before stepping into the octagon again, so he put his title shot on the line at UFC 131 against Shane Carwin.

Dos Santos used a big first-round flurry to carry himself to a unanimous decision victory over Carwin, whose face was a crimson mask following that beating at the end of the first five minutes.

The No. 1 contender used a variety of different techniques in his decisive victory last night. He used effective leg kicks and was even able to take Carwin down a couple times late in the third-round, though those were really more for show because he didn’t do anything when he got him down.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

All told it was a very good performance for dos Santos, who will enter his fight with Velasquez later on this year with all the momentum in the world.

I would like to see dos Santos actually try to do something once he takes an opponent down, but at least he is trying to evolve as a fighter because he knows that standing and trading against Velasquez is not going to work.

But it’s hard to really have any complaints with dos Santos’ performance last night. He displayed the boxing skills that we all knew he had, and he tried to incorporate new skills into his offense. Sure some of those new elements were rusty, but the evolution of the fighter is the most important thing.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

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UFC 131 Was A Very Good Event That Seemed To Suffer Because Of An Overpopulated MMA Market

The sport of mixed martial arts has seen an explosion in popularity over the last five years. UFC, in particular, has become the biggest and most profitable MMA organization in the still very young history of the sport.

But with that surge in popularity has come a market that is oversaturated and, as a result, much less interested in the events that occur each month. Just take a look at your calendar and you will see that the sport has become so big that many of the events don’t feel as big as they used to.

Over the course of four weeks, UFC and Strikeforce will have run four different events – starting with UFC 130 on May 28, The Ultimate Fighter Finale on June 4, UFC 131 on June 11 and Strikeforce: Overeem vs Werdum on June 18.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

These events have all suffered from a lack of mainstream interest because they are bunched so close together. Hardcore fans are going to watch every event no matter what, but the reason that buyrates and ratings for these shows have been down this year is because they don’t feel like something special because you can see them every week.

The really big events, like UFC 129, are going to draw because they are made to feel special, but those events are few and far between anymore.

UFC has created a monster that is actually hurting them more than it is helping. It’s great to see the sport as popular as it is, but because there is so much of it out there, people aren’t as invested in what’s going on.

It would be in the best interest of UFC to scale back the events that they do in order to give the shows that special feeling that they once had. But with the acquisition of Strikeforce and having so many fighters under contract means that we will get more shows than ever before, especially with Dana White talking about wanting to have shows on every single week.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

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UFC 131 Results Look At Shane Carwin's Options Following Another Loss

Shane Carwin’s long layoff did not end up producing the results that he was looking for, as Junior dos Santos completely ripped him apart over the course of three rounds at UFC 131 on Saturday night.

The same problems that plagued Carwin in the Brock Lesnar fight at UFC 116 showed up again at UFC 131 against Junior dos Santos. Unlike the Lesnar fight, however, dos Santos caused Carwin to exhaust all of his energy just trying to stay in the fight following a first-round beatdown.

Carwin, the former UFC interim heavyweight champion, was left a bloody mess after the opening five minutes, but he didn’t give in. He was able to stay alive for three rounds, though I wouldn’t exactly say that he was in the fight at any moment.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

Given all that Carwin and his body have been though over the last year, it had to feel very rewarding to just step foot in the octagon again. That will have to be the biggest positive that he takes away from this fight because it was not one that will go on his “Greatest Hits” DVD in the future.

UFC’s heavyweight division is really deep right now, and if Alistair Overeem and/or Fabricio Werdum enter the mix it will get deeper, and Carwin has lost two consecutive fights. Granted those two fights were against two of the best heavyweights in the world, but two losses are crippling in a deep division.

It’s going to be a long time, if ever, before we see Carwin back in the heavyweight title picture. The comeback story will have to be enough for him to take from this event on Saturday night because his performance inside the cage left a lot to be desired.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

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UFC 131 Results See Junior dos Santos Rip Apart Shane Carwin, Can He Do The Same Against Cain Velasquez

Junior dos Santos has earned a date with destiny following a dominant performance against Shane Carwin at UFC 131. The man known as “Cigano” will challenge Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship later on this year, though the official date has yet to be determined. So what can we expect when these two goliaths step into the octagon with each other?

Dos Santos, traditionally, has been a one-dimensional fighter inside the octagon. He has great cardio and technical ability, but he just uses his boxing skills, which are outstanding, to beat his opponents into oblivion. Last night, however, he used a more well-rounded approach to fighting by using takedowns and leg kicks to wear Carwin down.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

To be fair, though, it’s not like dos Santos was able to do anything when he got Carwin down, but at least he showed he could take an opponent down.

Velasquez is the best all-around heavyweight in the world. In the past there were questions about his ability in the striking game, so he went out and knocked out the last two opponents he has faced – Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. His wrestling and stamina are fantastic, so working the ground and lasting for 25 minutes isn’t a problem for him.

I think that if this fight stays standing, dos Santos has a great chance of winning because he is so good with his hands and moving in and out. If the fight is up and down over the course of all five rounds, Velasquez has a distinct advantage in wrestling and grappling as well as submissions.

The Champion should go into the fight as the favorite, though he isn't right now, and based on what I have seen from dos Santos, I would give Velasquez a slight edge to retain the title when these two lock horns later on this year.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Kenny Florian Knock Off Diego Nunes, Was The Move To Featherweight Smart?

Kenny Florian took the biggest risk of his career when he moved down in weight class for the fourth different time. He challenged Diego Nunes at 145-pounds, and looked dominant in the second- and third-round after a shaky start.

The weight cut, which could have easily drained him of his energy, puts him in a position to challenge for the championship. Since he is naturally a big guy, he has more power than most featherweight fighters.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

He was lost in the shuffle in a crowded lightweight division, with Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Anthony Pettis and, assuming that he joins the company soon, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez on the championship totem pole.

Now, thanks to his dominant win over Nunes and no other clear cut challenger in the division, Florian should be given the next shot at Jose Aldo.

Chad Mendes, the undefeated wrestler who was offered the shot, has said that he won’t wait for Aldo to heal before fighting again. This leaves UFC in a spot where they will have to find a challenger, unless Mendes comes out of his fight with Rani Yayha at UFC 133 completely unscathed.

Florian was already one of the top lightweight fighters in the world, and has competed in UFC for six years, so they know what he brings to the table as a fighter.

It’s been a long, slow climb back to title contention for Florian, who has challenged for the UFC lightweight title twice in his career, but moving down in weight was just the thing to push him back over the top of the contender’s mountain.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Diego Nunes Fall To Kenny Florian, Where Does He Fit In The Featherweight Title Picture

Diego Nunes was on the cusp of featherweight contention entering his fight with Kenny Florian at UFC 131. His record was a very stellar 16-1, which included a 6-1 mark split between UFC and WEC. He has beaten some of the top contenders in the division like Mike Brown and Raphael Assuncao. He was one victory away from being a contender.

But he ran into a bigger, stronger and more disciplined fighter than he was in Florian. You could make a case that Nunes was at a slight disadvantage because his opponent has competed at 155-pounds for so long that it gave him a power advantage, but at the end of the day the only thing that anyone will see is that L next to his name.

The climb back up the featherweight ladder shouldn’t take too long as there aren’t a lot of other legitimate contenders in the division, at least not right now, but you hate to see a good fighter waste an opportunity like Nunes had last night.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

Florian controlled the fight for all three-rounds, with the exception of a few moments where Nunes was able to get in some good shots on offense. But he was overpowered on the ground and striking wasn’t particularly close as Florian landed more power shots.

I would like to see Nunes challenge another man who fought on last night’s card, Dustin Poirier next. If Nunes wins, he would be one fight away from title contention. If Poirier wins, he will elevate himself into the upper echelon of featherweight fighters where he could challenge guys like Mark Hominick and Chad Mendes before getting a shot at Aldo.

Nunes blew his first big chance, so now it is incumbent upon him to learn from the mistakes he made in this fight to get back in the title picture.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Demian Maia Stumble Against Mark Munoz, What Does It Mean For His Future In The Middleweight Division?

Demian Maia was riding high, sitting near the top of the middleweight mountain last year. He had his big chance against Anderson Silva at UFC 112, but he came up short in one of the worst fights of 2010. Since that fight, he has been looking for a lot of answers without finding results.

Standing up and trading punches with an opponent has never been Maia’s strong suit, but he acknowledged after the Silva disaster he knew something had to change. He started training differently in order to at least look competent in the stand-up game.

The new strategy was working, at least to some degree, because he was getting wins and he wasn’t afraid to stand with an opponent, something he has acknowledged happened in the past.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

At UFC 131 against Mark Munoz, Maia continued to show that aggressive stand-up streak, but he never looked comfortable at all and, despite landing some good shots, was never really close to finishing the fight.

Add to that the fact that Maia was unable to do anything from the ground position, which has always been his strength as a fighter, makes you wonder how much he has left.

Maia is one of the very best submission fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. His ability to lock in a move from any position on the ground is legendary, but he doesn’t do enough things well anymore to be considered a threat at 170-pounds.

He had a successful run to start his career, going 11-0 with victories over Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt and Jason MacDonald, but he is just 3-3 in his last six fights and is on the downside of what has been a very solid career.

-Published By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

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UFC 131 Results See Donald Cerrone Score Another Big Win, What's The Ceiling For The Cowboy?

Donald Cerrone has become a pretty good submission fighter in addition to being one of the better grapplers in the lightweight division. He has one of the more unique personalities in UFC, which includes wearing a cowboy hat featuring the Tapout logo. He has charm and charisma needed to sell a fight. But how high can he go in UFC?

Over the course of the last three years, Cerrone has really evolved into a good submission fighter and one of the better grapplers in the lightweight division. But he tried a different tactic against Rocha last night that paid off beautifully.

Instead of working the ground and trying to get another submission win, Cerrone showed off his stand-up skills, particularly with his legs. He put on a three-round clinic just dissecting Rocha with vicious leg kicks.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

Rocha was limping early in the fight because of the power of these kicks, and there were a couple of times when he fell to the ground just trying to get off his feet because he legs were so busted up.

Cerrone has now won four consecutive fights and has looked good both times he has fought on a UFC card. The only thing that is preventing him from getting a title shot anytime soon is the depth of the lightweight division. There are at least four guys ahead of him on the championship totem pole - Gray Maynard, Ben Henderson, Clay Guida and Strikeforce's Gilbert Melendez.

If he can get a fight with someone like Henderson or Guida next, he could vault ahead of them in the chase for the championship.

Cerrone has all the skills and talent in the world to be a champion at 145-pounds, he just has to wait his turn before he can prove it to the rest of the world.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Dustin Poirier Score Another Victory Over Jason Young, Is He On Track To Get A Title Shot

Dustin Poirier has been on quite the roll lately. He has won his last three fights, including a unanimous decision victory over Jason Young at UFC 131 on Saturday night. His performances have been solid, and he has a good personality. Will all that add up to a shot at Jose Aldo and the UFC featherweight championship?

I believe that the one thing that works in Poirier's favor is a lack of depth in that division right now. Kenny Florian, who was also victorious at UFC 131, will likely get the next title shot, but after him it's anyone's guess what will happen.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

Chad Mendes was going to be the top contender before he decided not to wait for Aldo to get healthy before fighting again. If he loses to Rani Yahya at UFC 133 in August, he will no longer be in title contention.

Mark Hominick, who challenged Aldo at UFC 129 and earned a lot of fans thanks to a gritty, gutty performance, could be in line for another shot with at least one victory, though I don't know how much desire there is for a rematch considering how handily Aldo won the first time.

Meanwhile, between WEC and UFC, Poirier has put together a solid resume with a 3-1 record and two victories at 145-pounds over Young and Josh Grispi at UFC 125.

They may not be the best wins in the world, but for a division that is starved for top contenders he is emerging as one of the best of the bunch. I believe that Florian will get the next shot despite only having one fight at featherweight because of his success at lightweight. Poirier will have to win one more fight, but his title shot now looks closer to happening than it ever has.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Jon Olav Einemo Falter In His UFC Debut, But He Should Get Another Chance

Jon-Olav Einemo made his return to mixed martial arts at UFC 131 against Dave Herman in a bout that won Fight of the Night honors and earned both men an extra $70,000. But does Einemo, whose best win was an exhibition over Roger Gracie in 2007, deserve another shot to prove his mettle in the biggest MMA organization in the world?

I don't see why not. Usually when fighters make their debut in UFC, they are tentative trying really hard to get that first victory that they are so timid and afraid to try anything. It makes for a very boring fight.

Einemo was the exact opposite. He came out on Saturday night and was fun and exciting and showed that he has a lot he can offer this company in the future. He won't ever be a championship contender, but UFC needs guys who can fill out a fight card.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

The interesting thing about his fight with Herman is the way that both men engaged in a stand-up slugfest. Einemo is a big heavyweight at 6-foot-6, 260-pounds, but he is known for his terrific grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills. He tried to get the fight to the ground a few times, only to end up right back on his feet throwing haymakers.

I don't know if Einemo was being brought in just to get Shane Carwin, who was his original opponent for this event before Brock Lesnar had to pull out of the event, a victory in his return, after which he would be released, but he showed that he should be given another fight with the company before they try and get rid of him.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Results See Junior dos Santos Annihilate Shane Carwin, Installed As Early Favorite Against Cain Velasquez

Junior dos Santos is finally going to get his shot at the UFC heavyweight championship following a three-round destruction of Shane Carwin at UFC 131. It was a brilliant performance and proved that he is more than deserving of a fight with Cain Velasquez. But was it enough to justify him being the early favorite against the heavyweight champion?

From MMAFighting.com:

Just moments after UFC 131 ended, Kalikas installed dos Santos as a -125 favorite, giving him a very slight edge over the champion, who was listed at -105.

--snip--

Dos Santos (13-1) has yet to lose in the UFC, winning seven straight bouts. He's only failed to finish two of those, but even in those, he's been dominant. Against Carwin, he out-landed him 104-22 according to FightMetric.com.

Also according to the site, the two are No. 1 and No. 2 in UFC history in strikes landed per minute, with Velasquez landing the way at 7.46 per minute and JDS just behind at 6.79.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

We are a society built on overreactors, and if Velasquez was coming off a victory last night he would be the favorite in this fight.

Dos Santos is a very good fighter, with the best pure boxing skills of anyone in the heavyweight division. He's not the most well-rounded fighter in the world, lacking serious wrestling and grappling skills.

Velasquez is the most complete fighter in the heavyweight division. His wrestling skills have been very well-documented and he can grapple with anyone. His striking has improved dramatically since his debut in UFC three years ago.

Dos Santos will be a tremendous challenge for Velasquez, but there is no reason for him to be the favorite, no matter how slim the margin, because he is not the better fighter.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

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UFC 131 Results Saw Junior dos Santos Dissect Shane Carwin, Would Brock Lesnar Have Been A Better Opponent?

Junior dos Santos earned a shot at Cain Velasquez with a dominating victory over Shane Carwin at UFC 131. It was a one-sided destruction that literally left skin dangling from Carwin's face at the press conference following the fight. All of this has left people wondering if Brock Lesnar, dos Santos' original opponent, would have been a tougher fight for dos Santos.

The short answer is yes, Lesnar would have been a more difficult challenge.

Carwin, as good as he has been in his career, is a one-dimensional fighter. His only above-average fight skill is his power. He has great hands and his strength is off the charts. Unfortunately for him, if he isn't landing big punches he is not going to win a lot of fights.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

The former UFC interim heavyweight champion has decent grappling skills, but is not comfortable working a fight that way. He tried to take dos Santos down a few times only to be cut off every time.

Meanwhile, Lesnar, for as much criticism as he gets from fans, is more diverse than Carwin. He is a great wrestler, which is without question the most important fight tool, and he has a lot of power in his striking and grappling.

Lesnar doesn't like to get hit, which would have been a detriment against a great boxer like dos Santos, but he would have been much more aggressive with the takedowns and working the mat than Carwin was.

As we saw when dos Santos got Carwin to the ground, he isn't exactly the best worker on the ground in the world.

Carwin showed a lot of guts, heart and determination by staying in the fight for all three-rounds when it was clear that he had nothing left. But his diversity as a fighter, or lack thereof, cost him in this fight.

Lesnar, for all his flaws, would have provided a much more difficult challenge for Junior dos Santos at UFC 131.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

UFC 131 Payouts Give Four Fighters, Including Sam Stout, $70,000 Bonuses For Their Brilliant Performances

UFC 131 is now in the history books and it wound up being a really good show. There was a little something for everyone with knockouts, submissions and three-round battles that left you wanting to see more.

As is the case with every event, four fighters were awarded $70,000 Fight Night bonuses. So who were the lucky winners?

Submission of the Night: Chris Weidman

Weidman got the bonus for making Jesse Bongfeldt tapout thanks to a standing guillotine. It was his first UFC victory and first Fight Night bonus.

Knockout of the Night: Sam Stout

Stout provided the knockout of the year when he dropped Yves Edwards late in the first-round of their battle at UFC 131. He took a right hand from his opponent, then proceeded to swing his left hand with all the force that he had in him. He connected with Edwards' jaw, causing his head to snap, and he went down in a heap. This was a no-brainer choice for KO of the night.

Fight of the Night: Dave Herman vs Jon-Olav Einemo

These two heavyweights put on a fun, exciting back and forth battle that ended in the second-round when Herman was able to overwhelm the UFC newcomer with a barrage of punches and knees that dropped him to the canvas.

Even in defeat, Einemo should feel pretty good knowing that he will have a little extra green in his pockets thanks to an exciting debut.

Must Read: UFC 131 Results: Ten Burning Questions Heading into UFC 132

Even though there was some tough competition for Fight of the Night, you can't argue against that heavyweight battle.

Stout clearly deserved knockout of the night, and anytime a fight ends with a standing guillotine it is guaranteed to win submission of the night.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.

By Bleacher Report's Adam Wells

By Bleacher Report's Matt Juul:

Who would have thought that two of the UFC's best grapplers would get into a stand-up war?

That's just what happened at UFC 131 with Mark Muñoz edging out former middleweight top contender Demian Maia.

Maia, a fourth degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, came out and surprised everyone by coming out swinging, buckling Muñoz early in the first round with a straight left hand.

For much of the first round, Maia dominated the stand up game, even showcasing his much improved strength and conditioning by holding Muñoz up against the cage. Very little grappling was seen by either fighter in the first round.

Muñoz adjusted well going into the second round, acting as the aggressor and pushing the pace. The former NCAA champion wrestler hurt Maia with a flurry of punches forcing the BJJ ace to revert to his bread and butter.

Maia went for a single leg but was easily sprawled upon by Muñoz who punished Maia's leg with some vicious hammerfists. Maia attempted to pull guard but was unable to, almost succumbing to a D'Arce choke by Muñoz.

The submission attempt, however, was shrugged off with Maia gaining the top position.  

After a back and forth scramble between the clinch and guard, the fight eventually found its way back to its feet for a moment before Maia attempted a guillotine that Muñoz was able to slip out of. The round ended with Muñoz on top continuing to barrage Maia with body shots from the top of his half guard.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.

To check out the article in its entirety: UFC 131 Results: Mark Muñoz Edges Demian Maia in a Tight Technical Battle

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Saturday night at UFC 131, former WEC lightweight top contender Donald Cerrone made his UFC debut against the very tough Vagner Rocha.

Despite all his toughness, Rocha never posed any sort of threat to the "Cowboy." For three rounds, Cerrone used his superior muay thai to absolutely destroy Rocha's front leg. At one point during the twilight of the fight, Cerrone was actually able to drop Rocha with a leg kicks.

The fight didn't spend much time on the mat, and that is because Cerrone didn't want the fight there. But for the brief amount of time the fight was there, Cerrone used his guard to nullify any offense that Rocha may have imposed on him.

So after his successful UFC debut, who should Cerrone square off against next?

After all his success in the WEC, and now success in the UFC, Cerrone deserves to fight someone who is towards the top of the division.

With that said, let's give him Anthony Pettis.

Pettis is coming off a loss against Clay Guida in a fight in which one could make a solid argument that Pettis actually won.

A match between the former WEC standouts would not only be a highly entertaining bout between two exciting fighters, but also would be a good gauge to determine where both these young fighters stand as they move forward in their careers.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.