Bleacher Report - Cain Velasquez

Velasquez vs Bigfoot 2 Fight Card: 3 Fights You Don't Want to Miss

Matt Juul — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:30 -0400

Is your head still spinning after Vitor Belfort's phenomenal head kick knockout last week? Well, make sure to get your head on straight soon, because this weekend's stacked UFC 160 card is set to be just as exciting.

Headlining Saturday's event will be a super-sized main event battle between heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and challenger Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. The two monsters of MMA previously faced off at UFC 146 where Velasquez brutally took out the Brazilian via TKO in the first round.

Also on the card will be another heavyweight scrap as former champ Junior dos Santos takes on everyone's favorite Kiwi, Mark Hunt, who finally got his visa issues resolved. Whew, that was close.

With so many interesting fights scheduled for Saturday night, let's take a look at three bouts you'll definitely not want to miss.

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Mark Munoz Tells Us What Bigfoot Silva Needs to Do to Beat Cain Velasquez

Trent Reinsmith — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:59 -0400

UFC 160 is just a few days away and as with every UFC fight card, one of the hot topics of discussion is who is going to have their hand raised in the evening’s main event. Top billing on the May 25 event will go to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Saturday will mark the second meeting between the fighters. The first, which occurred at UFC 146, ended after 3:36 with Velasquez walking away with the TKO win.

How will the rematch end? That’s what we asked UFC middleweight Mark Munoz.

Read more Cain Velasquez news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Preview: Fun Facts and Stats on Velasquez vs. Bigfoot Silva 2 Fight Card

Trent Reinsmith — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:47:49 -0400

The UFC will return to Las Vegas for Memorial Day weekend, presenting UFC 160 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 25. Headlining the fight card will be a heavyweight title bout. Cain Velasquez will look to defend his crown against a fighter that is making a habit of defying the odds, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

The winner of the co-main event will most likely be the next fighter to compete for the heavyweight crown as former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos squares off against Mark Hunt.

But wait, there's more. Two of the top lightweights will also square off at UFC 160, as Gray Maynard faces T.J. Grant. The winner of that bout will earn a fight date with UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

UFC 160 will feature 12 contests in total. Read on for some background stats and facts as fight night nears.

**All stats via Fightmetric.com

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UFC 160 Preview: Cain Velasquez vs. Bigfoot Silva 2 Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Riley Kontek — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

UFC 160 is rapidly approaching and the main event hosts a rematch between current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Antonio "Big Foot" Silva.

The first time around, Velasquez dominated Silva using his wrestling and ground-and-pound attack. The scene of the fight looked like a massacre, as Velasquez busted Big Foot open and he was bleeding like a stuck pig.

Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of the rematch between Velasquez and Silva.

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UFC 160: Why Bigfoot Silva Won't Dethrone Cain Velasquez

Artem Moshkovich — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:41:17 -0400

One takedown and 53 vicious strikes: the essential recipe for Cain Velasquez's complete obliteration of Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva at UFC 146. In a performance that even MMA purists regarded as borderline assault and battery, Velasquez used Bigfoot as a mere stepping stone to reclaiming his UFC heavyweight championship belt.

In the buildup to next week's UFC 160 main event, Bigfoot has done much to reassure the MMA masses that his rematch will tell a wholly different story. Don't believe the hype, though. Cain will demonstrate that the first time wasn't a fluke.

Both men were coming off of losses—Cain had just handed over the belt in an upset to Junior Dos Santos while Bigfoot Silva suffered a knockout loss to Daniel Cormier. All signs pointed to a competitive fight between these two heavyweights on the quest to regain title contention. Cage-side fans cheered as the opening bell ushered both men towards the center of the Octagon.

Ten seconds later, Bigfoot was on his back and enduring an onslaught destined to stop the fight at 3:36 of the opening round. Cain had opened a wide cut on Bigfoot's forehead with a superbly placed elbow. A veritable bloodbath ensued as Velasquez targeted the wound with an unforeseen ferocity. Covered in red, Velasquez walked away from that fight with a declaration to regain the championship.

The entire affair left a lingering question, though: Was Cain's victory merely the result of a fortuitous cut?

During the UFC 160 conference call, Silva addressed these concerns: “A lot of my preparation has been the same as from the first fight. Obviously in the first fight, I made a big mistake, but there were a lot of things that I did right going into that fight, that unfortunately you guys didn't get to see. Much of that has been maintained. Overall, my strategy is not to let his elbows get near my forehead; that would be a change.”

Unfortunately for Silva, the concern lies more with the vulnerabilities of his MMA game and less with his strengths. Bleacher Report's own Jack Slack addresses the details:

Silva also showed some good boxing sense in his match with Overeem, as he took note of Overeem's head movement and caught the Dutchman with a solid uppercut which served as the beginning of the end.

The second—and more important—factor is to actually work to get opponents underneath him. Bigfoot Silva could starch an elephant if he mounted it, but he lacks the wrestling or guard games to trouble 230-pound wrestlers.

Oh, and of course, he should steer clear of kicking altogether. His kicks are hard, but they aren't fight-changers—unless they're landing him underneath someone.

Of course, Silva could pull off the upset against Velasquez—he is a puncher's chance with a black belt attached—but he will not show any consistency against truly elite competition until he addresses these issues.

This is not to say that Bigfoot is undeserving of this title shot. On the contrary, he's demonstrated an impressive ability to deliver historic upsets—he nearly rearranged Fedor Emelianenko's face, became the first man to defeat the promising Travis Browne, and shocked the world by knocking out Alistair Overeem in what the UFC has officially come to regard as the "Biggest Upset of 2013" (via UFC.com).

When all is said and done, Bigfoot Silva is a formidable contender with heavy hands and wealth of experience to reassure him as he steps inside the Octagon at UFC 160—but standing across the cage will be anything but an ordinary heavyweight champion.

Bigfoot will be facing an enigma that had once managed to walk right through him. He'll need to summon every ounce of his composure to ensure that Cain doesn't repeat the attack unleashed a year ago.

Far easier said than done.

Cain's superior wrestling game will prevent Bigfoot from throwing too many kicks. Similarly, Cain should be able to ensure that the fight takes place in any position of his choosing. His relentless attack when in top control will likely overwhelm any planned submissions Silva may have from his guard.

Throw in the added variable of Cain's lauded gas tank and you have the formula for either a repeat of UFC 146 or—worse yet—a demonstration of what Cain can do with the added confidence of his second title run.

Could Antonio Silva continue his streak of stunning upsets by connecting his 4XL gloves with Cain Velasquez's chin at UFC 160? One would be foolish to argue otherwise. The potential is always there—the concern has to be present when facing a giant as large as Silva. The champion, along with his training camp, have likely prepared to avoid such a scenario at all costs.

When the cage door closes, Antonio Silva will have to fight inner demons reminding him of his last fight against Velasquez. He'll then have to step forward and battle the reality that—since their first confrontation—Cain has managed to reclaim the belt that Silva so eagerly desires.

Regardless of his composure in the pre-fight build up, Bigfoot has to know that Cain won't wilt under pressure. He'll have to stop the champion's rhythm before it even gets underway.

If he telegraphs a kick, Cain will capitalize. If he moves forward throwing flat-footed hooks, Cain will capitalize. If he so much as begins to tire, Cain will capitalize.

To strip Velasquez of the crown, Bigfoot Silva needs to stop takedowns, fluidly deliver combinations, and pace himself for the long haul.

I'm not saying he can’t—I’m just saying he won't.

Read more Cain Velasquez news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Preview: Antonio Silva vs. Cain Velasquez

Kevin Hess — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:28:09 -0400

Featured as the UFC 160 main event, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva will battle defending champion Cain Velasquez for heavyweight supremacy.

Silva is looking to redeem himself after a brutal first-round loss to Velasquez at UFC 146 and take the UFC heavyweight championship in the process.

Silva is a massive heavyweight who weighs in at the maximum limit and will bring with him a 3-inch height and 5-inch reach advantage. He has very large hands that can deliver an instant knockout and has a notable ground game.

Silva also might be the luckiest fighter in the UFC. He has found himself with wins over Travis Browne due mainly to injury and Alistair Overeem by upset to get a championship fight with Velasquez.

Will the luck continue for the third consecutive fight?

Velasquez has made a statement after losing the UFC championship to Junior dos Santos. He dissected Silva at UFC 146 after opening a blinding cut and earning a first-round TKO stoppage. He then proceeded to redeem himself with a dominating five-round unanimous decision victory over dos Santos in their championship rematch.

Velasquez brings with him to the table a relentless wrestling game and features the heavyweight division's best cardio. Velasquez is one heavyweight you cannot expect to run out of fuel.

In addition, he has an effective striking game but does lack consistent heavyweight knockout power. He usually has to dish out a lot of punishment to gain a finish.

Silva will look to maintain his standing position in this fight so that he can use his strengths to his advantage. He will find victory only by knockout, and it is possible, but he might have to throw caution to the wind and forget about defending the takedown to do so.

If Silva is taken down, he has to make sure that he can defend himself from a full-guard position. Silva is more likely to defend himself from this position even though he will be at a disadvantage.

Velasquez will want to use his strengths in this fight. If Silva comes out tentatively, he may be susceptible to Velasquez's punches, especially an overhand right or lead left hook—but I don't expect Velasquez to try to play games with Silva.

Expect a similar game plan as in his last fight—using his speed advantage, working for the takedown and then delivering some ground-and-pound offense.

Though I expect this fight to go longer than their last, I expect Velasquez to gain the victory somewhere in the third round.

Read more Cain Velasquez news on BleacherReport.com

Bigfoot Silva's Strategy Against Cain Velasquez, Avoid Elbows to the Forehead

Trent Reinsmith — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:53:03 -0400

Things couldn’t have gone worse for Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva the first time he faced Cain Velasquez. Over the course of that three and a half minute bout, Silva’s offense amounted to three strikes landed, while his defense was to leak blood all over the canvas and his opponent after Velasquez opened him up with an elbow. On May 25, Silva will get the chance to make amends for that first fight when he faces Velasquez in the main event of UFC 160.

Due to how the first meeting between the two went, many feel that Velasquez will take the win with ease—a fact that does not bother Silva in the least: “I like when people underestimate me, it’s nice,” Silva said, “I get to go out there and prove them wrong. There are no superheroes in this sport, nobody’s invincible and I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work over the last nine weeks. I’ve been preparing myself and I’m very confident that I am going to have my hand raised on May 25.”

Silva’s first fight against Velasquez was his UFC debut, which may account for the fact that Silva didn’t feel himself: “In our first fight I was nervous and anxious. I’ve replaced those emotions. Now I’m calm and I’m driven. I really want this.”

While Silva may be calm and driven heading into UFC 160, he’ll also be at a disadvantage as far as speed is concerned. Velasquez is one of the quickest fighters in the heavyweight division, a fact that is not lost on Silva, but also one he is not all that concerned with: “I’ve got thirty pounds on him, he’s going to be faster than me. I need to work with what I have and what I have is very, very heavy hands. I’m sure that the first punch that I land, he’s going to go down. I have a lot of respect for Cain Velasquez, I think he’s an incredible fighter and I respect him as a person, but I’m very confident in myself and I feel very good going into this fight.”

As far as what Silva is going to do differently to prepare for his second go round with Velasquez, the answer is not much: “A lot of my preparation has been the same as from the first fight. Obviously in the first fight I made a big mistake, but there were a lot of things that I did right going into that fight, that unfortunately you guys didn’t get to see. Much of that has been maintained. Overall, my strategy is not to let his elbows get near my forehead, that would be a change.”

Sounds like a solid start, but will it be enough to earn the victory and UFC heavyweight title for Silva? We’ll find out on May 25 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

**All quotes obtained first hand during UFC 160 media call

Read more Cain Velasquez news on BleacherReport.com