UFC on FOX: Dos Santos the First Brazilian Undisputed Heavyweight Champion

 
On Saturday, November 12, 2011, Junior "Cigano" dos Santos stunned the MMA world, dropping the champion, Cain Velasquez, with a devastating right hook in just 64 seconds.

It was no surprise how the fight ended.  Nobody expected the fight to last all 25 minutes, but it was amazing how fast it happened.

No doubt this comes as a great disappointment to Mexican fans of Velasquez.  After all, he was the first Mexican champion in the UFC—well, technically he wasn't.  More on that later.

But having a Brazilian Heavyweight Champion in the UFC is nothing new.  Or is it?

Let's take a closer look at this.  Prior to UFC on Fox, the UFC Heavyweight Champions in order were: Mark Coleman, Maurice Smith, Randy Couture, Bas Rutten, Kevin Randleman, Randy Couture (again), Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, Tim Sylvia, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia (again), Randy Couture (again), Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez.

How many Brazilians are on that list of champions?  None.  Wait a second, none?

That's right, Junior dos Santos just became the first Brazilian to be Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World!

Yes, there were four men who won the "Miss Congeniality" prize known as the Interim Heavyweight Title.  Yes, one of those men was Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.  

But is an Interim Champion really the champion?  No, they aren't.  They are a potential replacement champion when the actual champion has been inactive for a long time.  Weird things have happened with the interim belt in the UFC.  But it's just not the real thing. 

So yes, JDS just did something no Brazilian has ever done before!  Congratulations, Cigano, you're a Brazilian pioneer!

Cain Velasquez is another story.  He is Mexican-American who was born in the USA.  If Cain counts as a Mexican champion, then so do Tito Ortiz and Ricco Rodriguez.  

Tito was undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Ricco was undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.  So no, Cain was not the first Mexican to become a UFC champion, nor was he the first Mexican to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion.  

I understand what the UFC was trying to do with Cain.  They had a symbol that Mexicans and Mexican-Americans alike could unite behind, thus increasing the UFC's fan base.

I do find it highly amusing that Junior dos Santos actually is unique, but no one will make a big deal about it.  The UFC won't bother trying to hype up Cigano's "first ever" status the same way that they did with Velasquez—something amusing to think about.