UFC 155: 'Dos Santos vs Velasquez 2'

[Egg Shen]

yeh, the heavyweights have definitive top 1 & 2...and with Overeem stalled there is no other heavyweight title fight out there other than this one.

 

You're wrong on the Velasquez opinion though, i aint so sure amongst fans but in a couple of videos ive seen with fighters most people seem to be leaning towards Cain.

[David]

You're wrong on the Velasquez opinion though, i aint so sure amongst fans but in a couple of videos ive seen with fighters most people seem to be leaning towards Cain.

Yeah, I'm talking on about this forum. The poll has Dos Santos by a landslide.

[Egg Shen]

i cant fucking wait.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

I think Cain will surprise Dos Santos with a better gameplan here. Re-watching the first fight yesterday, you can tell something was up with Cain, his movement was very static compared to the Lesnar and Bigfoot fights. A few quotables from JDS that I've read recently indicate to me that he is supremely confident about this rematch. I wouldn't go as far as to say he's cocky, but talking about "knocking him out in the second" or "showing off the submission game", makes me think JDS could be thrown off guard a lot being clipped with a decent punch and/or put on his back.

 

Best bet for Cain I think would be to clinch. Injuries or not (and JDS was also carrying an injury), the straight takedown attempt from Velasquez was shrugged off like it was nothing in the first fight. Cain can wear out JDS by pressing him against the cage and gradually pulling him down to the ground. From that position against the cage, JDS can't land the looping killshot, and Cain doesn't want to allow that striking distance, especially early. Part of the success he had against Lesnar was his wrestling prowess, using it to combat Lesnar's strength. When Lesnar couldn't use his main weapon, that's when Cain took over. Obviously JDS is more well-rounded, but there's something to be said for taking a fighter out of their comfort zone. JDS hasn't been on his back in the UFC as far as I know, and a healthy Cain certainly has the skill set to do that and unleash some of those punches and elbows that helped him kill Bigfoot.

 

EDIT: Just watched the pre-fight press conference. It's a good thing Cain's such an exciting fighter, because he has a boring as shit personality. He gave stock standard, monotone answers to all questions, and the majority of what he says references his Mexican heritage in some way, which is super grating after a while (not helped by the reporters doing the same thing).

 

I liked JDS even more from this though. He shot an uncharacteristically angry glare towards a reporter who referred to the championship as "your belt, so to speak", in a question to Cain. He quickly took the microphone and while smiling, said firmly, "It's my belt, not his," in a eerily calm manner which would have spooked me if I was the reporter. Great, great man.

[Egg Shen]

Mike Goldberg has phoned in sick for 155. Jon Anik & Joe Rogan will be in the booth.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

That's disappointing. Goldberg has his fair share of detractors, but at least he sounds interested in what's going on. Rogan will really have to amp up his schtick to cover for Anik's bland, monotone style. Personally, I think it's a missed opportunity to get a special guest commentator ala' Randy Couture or Frank Mir, given the heavyweight main event. Mir's a decent commentator when not fapping over Miguel Torres IIRC.

[wandshogun09]

I thought this thread would be full of pre-fight buzz by now, surprisingly little discussion going on. Guess Chrimbo has distracted folks from it in fairness.

 

I really don't know what's going to happen here. You usually have a good idea how a rematch will go based on the first fight, but in this case, the first fight was so short and so little happened that it makes it a very tricky one to call. One thing I'm sick of reading is that Cain was hurt the first time, it's not coming from Cain but the way it's being reported on and the way most fans are going on it's all about how Cain "wasn't right last time, he'll wreck JDS this time". Well, Dos Santos had a knee injury as well, Big Nog was even saying JDS was on crutches a week or so before the fight. They both went in one-legged and JDS landed the KO shot.

 

JDS still for me doesn't get enough credit. Even when he tools a guy like Frank Mir it's all "Mir was shit, he didn't even try". He fucking well did try. Right from the off he made a solid attempt at a takedown and went hard for a leglock. JDS avoided it and then never let Mir in range to grapple again and picked him apart. Too much is made of what Mir didn't do and not enough made of what JDS did do, for me. Yes Mir looked shit, because JDS was better than him. I don't hear anyone going "Bigfoot didn't even try" when Cain mauled him. Bigfoot got in no offense at all did he? Mir at least landed leg kicks and had the takedown/leg lock attempt.

 

As for this rematch, like I said, it's really really tough. I've long felt like these are the 2 best heavyweights in MMA. Even back when Lesnar, Mir and Carwin were battling over the title I think people knew it was only a matter of time before Cain and JDS took their place on top of the weight class.

 

Who knows? I'm picking Dos Santos but I'm not exactly confident. If anyone can make wrestling work against JDS it's Cain or Cormier and as long as Cain avoids that bomb we should get some answers on Cigano's ground game. I think Cain is more likely to win on points, if he gets a stoppage I'm thinking it will be in the later rounds after possibly wearing Junior out. But on the feet, as solid and capable as Cain is, there's more danger to Dos Santos' striking attack, I think. And every second the fight is standing that threat is always there.

 

Can't wait to see this fight. Loved the staredown at the weigh ins with Cain mimicking Junior's fist pose;

 

[wandshogun09]

That's disappointing. Goldberg has his fair share of detractors, but at least he sounds interested in what's going on. Rogan will really have to amp up his schtick to cover for Anik's bland, monotone style. Personally, I think it's a missed opportunity to get a special guest commentator ala' Randy Couture or Frank Mir, given the heavyweight main event. Mir's a decent commentator when not fapping over Miguel Torres IIRC.

 

Yeah Mir's really good on the announcing. If I'm not mistaken, he got pulled out of the WEC gig for his 'wishing death on Brock' comments. But enough time has passed now for that to be forgotten I'd imagine. I'm not sure how well a Rogan/Mir team would work though. They need a play-by-play guy in there and Rogan and Mir were always more suited to the colour commentator role.

 

They did do it at least once. UFC 40-something (I think), Goldberg was away and they had Rogan as the play-by-play and Phil Baroni as the colour. I can't remember if I've seen the whole show to remember what kind of job they did though.

 

I'm not a great fan of Anik. He seems a really nice guy and he's technically very good at what he does but he's just not very engaging to listen to for me. Then again I've never been much into Goldy either.

 

Edited for Rogan's nutter face at the weigh in;

 

 

[The Natural]

That's disappointing. Goldberg has his fair share of detractors, but at least he sounds interested in what's going on. Rogan will really have to amp up his schtick to cover for Anik's bland, monotone style. Personally, I think it's a missed opportunity to get a special guest commentator ala' Randy Couture or Frank Mir, given the heavyweight main event. Mir's a decent commentator when not fapping over Miguel Torres IIRC.

 

I've always liked Goldberg/Rogan so I'm disappointed with that and the replacement (more shortly). My favourite commentary team after them is Todd Harris/Frank Mir from the WEC days. I really like Frank Mir on commentary even though I'm not a fan of Mir. Jon Anik/Kenny Florian is my least favourite commentary team.

 

Edited for Rogan's nutter face at the weigh in;

 

 

 

Edited for two more:

 

 

 

Brilliant!

[Egg Shen]

Rogan fucking loves it dont be

 

there appears to a little more to the Goldberg situation that originally thought, Dana stating that he 'doesn't know when he'll be back' hmmmm...

 

ive decided to get ESPN and watch this fucker live too, come on!!!!!

[David]

That's disappointing. Goldberg has his fair share of detractors, but at least he sounds interested in what's going on. Rogan will really have to amp up his schtick to cover for Anik's bland, monotone style. Personally, I think it's a missed opportunity to get a special guest commentator ala' Randy Couture or Frank Mir, given the heavyweight main event. Mir's a decent commentator when not fapping over Miguel Torres IIRC.

Isn't it usually the case that the likes of Couture or Mir would assume the colour commentator position? I'm not sure they would be cut out for the play by play position, which Anik obviously has experience of.

[Egg Shen]

yeh thats the difference...the Color man is obviously an easier position to fill, in Goldberg/Anik they got guys who anchor the entire show...to my knowledge theres only been one show where there was a different play by play guy...and that was a one off when Goldberg couldnt make it (cant remember the guys name)

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

That's disappointing. Goldberg has his fair share of detractors, but at least he sounds interested in what's going on. Rogan will really have to amp up his schtick to cover for Anik's bland, monotone style. Personally, I think it's a missed opportunity to get a special guest commentator ala' Randy Couture or Frank Mir, given the heavyweight main event. Mir's a decent commentator when not fapping over Miguel Torres IIRC.

Isn't it usually the case that the likes of Couture or Mir would assume the colour commentator position? I'm not sure they would be cut out for the play by play position, which Anik obviously has experience of.

Yeah, but Rogan can do play by play if need be, he's worked with Goldy long enough to know the ins and outs, he has better knowledge of the technical aspects of MMA for the sake of moves, positions etc. The aforementioned Rogan/Baroni team were pretty decent from what I remember (watched that event several months back somewhere in my UFC 38-42 collection).

[David]

Yeah, but Rogan can do play by play if need be, he's worked with Goldy long enough to know the ins and outs, he has better knowledge of the technical aspects of MMA for the sake of moves, positions etc. The aforementioned Rogan/Baroni team were pretty decent from what I remember (watched that event several months back somewhere in my UFC 38-42 collection).

I disagree. Knowing the actual mechanics of an MMA bout and working alongside an established play by play guy doesn't mean that Rogan will cut it in that position himself. I don't see why they would want to ask Rogan to fill such a position, then find someone else to fill his position when they have Anik available and ready to do the job.

 

Anik may not be as loud and over the top as Goldberg, but he's very good at what he does.

[The Natural]

Out of the big commentary teams (UFC/Strikeforce/Bellator), Anik/Florian are my least favourite going today.