UFC 188: Cain Velasquez's Loss Puts Junior Dos Santos Back in the Catbird Seat

While the loudest cheers no doubt came from Fabricio Werdum's corner, the new UFC heavyweight champion's extended entourage weren't the only interested parties watching his fight with longtime champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 closely. 

Sitting ringside was Junior dos Santos, until now Velasquez's greatest rival. And the Brazilian slugger was no doubt smiling from ear to ear when Werdum choked the champion out in the third round. 

To most dos Santos is, at worst, the third-best heavyweight in the world. He's beaten six of the big boys in the UFC's top-15 rankings, most in spectacular fashion. In a perfect world, he'd have been the perfunctory top contender, just waiting word of the winner so he could properly prepare his training camp.

The problem, simply put, was Velasquez. The two men had already met three times in the Octagon. After dos Santos' stunning knockout victory in the very first UFC fight broadcast on network television, Velasquez quickly went about setting the record straight. In the last two, Cain starched dos Santos in dominant performances, the kind of savage beatings that are hard to forget. 

That made a title shot dubious so long as Velasquez held the belt. At the very least enough time would have to pass for memories to fade, if just slightly. 

Fighter	Fabricio Werdum	Junior dos Santos
Record	20-5-1 (16 Finishes)	17-3 (14 Finishes)
Age	37	31
Height	6'4"	6'4"
Weight	236	242

As a result, dos Santos became the world's most unlikely Werdum fan in the days leading up to the fight. A Werdum title reign made a path to the championship far less circuitous. Unlike Velasquez, who seemingly has his number, dos Santos actually owns a win over the new champion. In an interview with Combate in Brazil (h/t Bloody Elbow), he made it all too clear he understood the stakes.

"If he wins, I think I'll face him right away," dos Santos said. "That would be a great rematch. If Cain wins, however, I will probably have to fight once or twice more. I hope Werdum wins. It would be great if the fight happened in Brazil. Two Brazilians fighting for the heavyweight title would be amazing for the country and for the sport."

Although no official announcement has been made, it seems likely dos Santos' all-Brazilian title dream will come true. In their first fight, dos Santos ended Werdum's night, and his first UFC run, with a knockout of the night performance. A lot has changed in the seven years since that bout. 

Werdum has reinvented his striking game and looks fresher than ever at 37. The younger man chronologically, dos Santos has aged noticeably thanks to his wars in the Octagon. It shapes up to be something pretty exciting—for dos Santos and fans happy to have an active champion on the throne.