UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2 – A Closer Look
The big Memorial Day weekend is upon us and nothing says holidays like the gift of an exciting title fight in the UFC’s thrilling heavyweight division. This sunny Saturday in Sin City, the first Mexican-American fighter to ever win a heavyweight title in MMA or boxing, Cain Velasquez, faces resurging upset specialist, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in an intriguing rematch headlining UFC 160. On the line is Cain’s championship belt as he sets his eyes on another run as the division’s king. However, standing in the way of this historic goal is a man he knows all too well in Silva, who has recently put together some brutal knockouts as he rocketed to the top of the division. Velasquez readies to continue writing history this weekend as he revisits his rivalry with the Brazilian powerhouse, but does Silva have one more highlight reel KO prepped for a remarkable serving of payback from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas? Here is a closer look at what to look for when these two talented giants collide at UFC 160.
Cain Velasquez (11-1) returns to the Nevada desert eager to architect a second UFC championship reign following a lengthy trek back to the throne. The Californian originally started moving up the rankings back in 2009 with wins over elite fighters; Cheick Congo & Ben Rothwell. Early the following year he KO’d Antonio Nogueira in just over 2 minutes at UFC 110 before challenging Brock Leasnar for the crown in the fall. Unbeaten at the time but still an underdog, the Division 1 wrestler pulled off the upset with a 1st round KO of Lesnar in front of a sold out Honda Center at UFC 121 in Anaheim, California. Unfortunately, Velasquez suffered an injury during the bout requiring rotator cuff surgery resulting in an almost a year-long layoff before returning to defend his belt for the first time against KO artist, Junior Dos Santos. The UFC on FOX 1 bout took place in front another raucous Honda Center crowd in 2011. However, this time Velasquez was on the receiving end of a 1st round KO finish which cost him the belt and his undefeated streak. He returned in May of 2012 to welcome promotional newcomer, Antonio Silva to the Octagon, winning via 1st round TKO. The triumph gave him his 9th finish out of his 11 wins also earning him a rematch against Junior Dos Santos this past December at the MGM Grand. There, Velasquez returned to form, trampling Dos Santos for 5 grueling rounds using multiple takedowns, leg kicks & overhand rights en-route to a unanimous decision win. Now a champion again, Cain looks to defend his belt in another rematch opposite an upper echelon Brazilian with heavy hands in Silva.
Antonio Silva (18-4) owns 16 finishes out his 18 wins and has enjoyed making fools of the odds makers with various upset victories in his pro career. The most memorable ones when he fought for Strikeforce happened just a few years ago, first with his 2010 unanimous decision over former UFC heavyweight champ, Andrei Arlovski. The following year, as a 4-1 underdog, Silva conquered Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko via 2nd round TKO victory dealing the heavyweight kingpin his first TKO defeat in a decade. Silva made the jump shortly thereafter from the Hexagon to the Octagon but, the BJJ black belt suffered a loss in his debut a year ago at UFC 146 against Velasquez. Luckily Silva managed to regroup, emerging as the cold-blooded finisher that led him to the upper echelon of the division. In his first outing following the defeat he was paired opposite 2-1 favorite Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5 this past October. The Brazilian Top Team representative upset the undefeated Hawaiian in emphatic fashion by way of 1st round TKO using a barrage of deadly strikes. Earlier this year, Silva electrified fans by dispatching of 5-1 favorite, Alistair Overeem at UFC 156. After weathering “The Reem’s” storm, “Bigfoot” found his footing going into the 3rd round, pinning the former K-1 title holder along the cage wall then blasting him with a series of punches that left Overeem slumped on the canvas, separated from his senses. Now, with all the confidence in the world and revenge coursing through his veins, Silva steps into the Octagon for his world title fight against the man who embarrassed him in his UFC debut.
This blockbuster Memorial Day weekend, two fast and furious heavyweights collide at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a 5-round bout for the UFC heavyweight championship belt. Combined, the champ, Cain Velasquez and challenger Antonio Silva, will carry 25 finishes out of their 29 wins into the cage. In other words, these two monsters speak with their actions, they mean business and probably don’t plan on taking their UFC 160 main event title tilt the distance. The only question is: who avoids repeating history on Saturday? Can Velasquez succeed in his first title defense with one more significant triumph over “Bigfoot”, or does Silva capitalize on his first chance at UFC gold with a win, again silencing the naysayers along with Velasquez in the ultimate showcase of revenge? We will find out this Saturday, May 25th as the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino hosts UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2 live on PPV.
UFC 160: Velasquez vs Bigfoot 2 Extended Preview
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