UFC 146 Fight Card: 5 Reasons for Fans to Root for Junior Dos Santos

When heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos defends his heavyweight championship against Frank Mir at UFC 146, he should do so as the undisputed fan favorite.

As the newest heavyweight champion, dos Santos is one of the fastest rising superstars in the UFC, and his first chance to headline a pay-per-view as the champion is a big opportunity for him to cash in on his new-found popularity.

Here's why fans should be pulling for JDS to beat Mir.

Likeable Personality

This isn't the WWE; there are no official faces or heels of the organization. If there were, Junior dos Santos would definitely be a face.

Despite being an absolute wrecking machine in the octagon, dos Santos is the furthest thing from a "tough guy" outside of the cage. His friendly demeanor and jovial attitude make him hard not to like. He has the personality of an innocent child—you know, if that kid could knock you unconscious with one punch.

Fans got to see dos Santos' charisma in his stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter opposite Brock Lesnar, and he came off as a humble, humorous guy who took the time to help his young stable of fighters.

In a sport dominated by chest-thumpers and trash-talkers (who have their place in the sport), it's refreshing to see someone with dos Santos' personality enjoy success.

FOX Momentum

Junior dos Santos won the heavyweight title against Cain Velasquez on the UFC's network television debut on FOX.

The hope for putting such a high-profile fight on free TV is not just to get great ratings and impress the network; the organization also needs to build up its future pay-per-view cash cows by showcasing them to the broad audience that FOX provides.

With dos Santos' 64-second demolition of Velasquez, there are fewer stars with more momentum in terms of popularity right now.

A win for dos Santos will not only help him rise his stock personally, but it will ultimately help the company. To sell pay-per-views to casual fans, you need bona-fide stars. Dos Santos has the ability to be just that, but a loss to Frank Mir at UFC 146 would squash his current momentum and diminish the impact of the original UFC on FOX bout.

The Need for a Dominant Heavyweight Champion

Speaking of marketability, the heavyweight division will always be a popular division—especially for the casual fans the UFC desperately needs to attract.

Even if the lighter weight classes provide exciting bouts more consistently, fans will always be fascinated by watching the biggest men in the sport throwdown. If boxing has shown us anything, it's that when all of your stars are in the lighter weight classes, public interest will wane.

Unfortunately, the UFC has had few heavyweight champions who can hold onto the belt for very long. Randy Couture is most likely the most dominant UFC heavyweight champion, and he was only able to string together two title defenses in his longest reign as champion.

Now it's dos Santos' turn to see if he can become the first ever truly dominant heavyweight champion and string together some defenses of the belt. A win over Mir could be the start of the most dominant reign in UFC history.

Exciting Style

For all of the intricacies and excitement the ground game can bring, everyone loves to see a slugger.

When it comes to the stand-up department, Junior dos Santos has some of the best boxing in the entire sport and unquestionably the heavyweight division's best boxer. Dos Santos throws his hands early, often and with bad intentions.

A champion with the ability to end the fight with just one strike happens to be something that fans enjoy—just look at the immense popularity of Anderson Silva.

If finishing ability is what you look for in an exciting fighter, dos Santos is close to the top. In 15 professional bouts, he has finished 12 of them with 11 first-round stoppages to his name.

Mir may have some outstanding jiu-jitsu and has put on some exciting fights in his career, but dos Santos' mauling stand up is the more exciting style and the kind of draw you want in a champion.

Alistair Overeem vs. Junior Dos Santos

Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir is an interesting booking, and Mir was the most deserving of the challengers available, but the original main event of Alistair Overeem vs. Junior dos Santos was much better.

Overeem, who was forced to withdraw from the fight in the wake of a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone, remains one of the few fighters in the heavyweight division with the stand-up chops to contend with dos Santos on the feet.

While Overeem's status with the UFC still remains up in the air, a matchup with dos Santos for the title is still one of the biggest fights the UFC could make. The former Strikeforce champion is a controversial figure who could really sell the fight against the good-natured dos Santos.

In order for this fantasy fight to come to fruition, dos Santos must hold onto the belt. If this fight isn't for the championship, then it loses some of its luster.