UFC 146 Results: Junior Dos Santos Retains Heavyweight Title, Velasquez Destroys Silva

By Jaime C. Feal

Junior Dos Santos is still the UFC Heavyweight champion after a convincing second round stoppage over Frank Mir. Dominating the fight from start to finish, Dos Santos used his excellent boxing and footwork to pick Mir apart. In the co-Main Event, Cain Velasquez took Antonio Silva down and never looked back. Using powerful, accurate ground and pound, Velasquez battered and bloodied Bigfoot Silva en route to a first round TKO. With the win, Velasquez could be in line for another title shot and a rematch with Dos Santos. On the undercard, Jamie Varner pulled off a stunning upset over previously unbeaten Lightweight prospect Edson Barboza.

Heavyweight Division (265 lbs.):

Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (23-5, 7-3 UFC) vs. Lavar “Big” Johnson (17-5, 2-0 UFC)

Round 1:

Johnson charges forward and lands a nice right hook to the body, then a big uppercut. Johnson has Struve clinched up against the cage, trying to work punches. Struve has him tied up for the time being. Struve pulls guard. Johnson on top looking to ground and pound, but leaves his arm out and Struve locks in an armbar. Struve has it locked in deep and Johnson taps. Johnson winces in pain as his arm may have broke. Big win for “Skyscraper.”

Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve wins by Submission (armbar) at 1:05 of Round 1.

Heavyweight Division (265 lbs.):

Stipe Miocic (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Shane Del Rosario (11-0, 0-0 UFC)

Round 1:

Bit of a feeling out process to start, as Del Rosario lands some light leg kicks in the first minute. Miocic with a good right hand. Again Miocic coming forward with good boxing combos. Good body kick by Del Rosario. Solid inside leg kick by Shane. Miocic eats another body kick. Nice left hook to the body by Micocic. Head kick by Del Rosario. Kicks from Del Rosario looking nasty. Miocic with a good straight right. The pattern continues as Del Rosario lands left body kicks. Big left counter by Del Rosario. Nice straight left by the southpaw Del Rosario. Miocic clinches him against the cage but they separate. Shane starting to tire. Miocic lands a punch. Good left head kick by Del Rosario, but gets taken down. Miocic on top, lets him up to end the round. 10-9 round for Del Rosario

Round 2:

More kicks from Del Rosario. Methodical approach. Del Rosario covering up decently when Miocic throws. Stipe gets a takedown and connects with some hard ground and pound. Miocic in half guard, now Del Rosario regains guard. Miocic stands over and lands hammerfists. Miocic in half guard again, looking to pass to side control. Short elbows and more ground and pound from Miocic. Del Rosario gives up the mount, but regains half guard a short time later. Miocic dominating this round. Del Rosario is all cut up from the elbows. Del Rosario getting battered with short elbows, and the fight is stopped. Wow. Impressive finish by Stipe Miocic, handing Del Rosario his first loss.

Stipe Miocic wins by TKO at 3:14 of Round 2.

Heavyweight Division (265 lbs.):

Roy “Big Country” Nelson (16-7, 3-3 UFC) vs. Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman (21-3, 1-1 UFC)

Round 1:

Good standing knee thrown by Pee-Wee. Nelson tries an overhand right but doesn’t connect clean. Now Nelson throws an enormous overhand right that drops Herman on his ass. Herman is sitting down, eating another short shot, no idea where he is, and Mazzegatti is rushing in to stop the fight. The right hand haymaker that Nelson landed was reminiscent of when he knocked out Brendan Schaub to win The Ultimate Fighter Season 10.

Roy “Big Country” Nelson wins by KO at 0:51 of Round 1.

Heavyweight Division (265 lbs.):

Cain Velasquez (9-1 UFC, 7-1 UFC) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (16-3, 0-0 UFC)

Round 1:

Silva throws a leg kick and Cain uses it to take him down. Velasquez swarms with short punches and is looking to finish early. Silva regains some control with his guard and an upkick. Velazquez almost exclusively working his left hand to ground and pound Silva. Bigfoot gives up half guard. Silva is a bloody mess from an elbow. Velasquez is dominating this fight. More left hands right into the bloody face of Silva. Another big elbow from Cain. Silva trying to shake his head so he can see but there is so much blood. Ref Josh Rosenthal breaks the fight so the doctors can check the cut on Silva. The doctors allow it to continue. Rosenthal restarts Silva on his back. Velasquez immediately lands more left hands on the ground and Silva is bleeding badly. Velasquez landing thunderous shots, Silva is getting absolutely battered. Blood all over the canvas. Velasquez going to town with punches, Silva rolls and starts to turtle. Cain hammers away, and Silva rolls back into half guard. Velasquez turns it up even more, and this time when Silva turns to his side Velasquez obliterates him with hard left hands until Rosenthal finally steps in to stop the horror show. Absolute destruction by Velasquez.

Cain Velasquez wins by TKO at 3:36 of Round 1.

UFC Heavyweight Championship (265 lbs.):

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos (14-1, 8-0 UFC) vs. Frank Mir (16-5, 14-5 UFC)

Round 1:

Mir shoots for a single and Dos Santos is hoping to defend. Mir tries to grab an ankle but Dos Santos breaks free and hops out. Cigano with a jab. Mir with a one-two and a head kick, but everything misses. Nice left hook by Dos Santos. Straight right to the body by JDS. Right leg kick by Mir. Cigano with a single jab to the body. Mir with another kick, but gets caught with a left hook counter. Nice uppercut by Doss Santos. Straight right from Cigano. Mir getting tagged at will. Dos Santos jabs to the body. Big right hand to the body by Dos Santos. Nice jab by Cigano. Mir coming forward but not finding much success. Another nice jab from Junior. Good right hand by JDS and Mir’s legs wobble. Cigano pounces and unloads with punches. Uppercuts and hooks and Mir desperately shoots for a single. JDS lets him up, but the round ends. 10-8 round for Dos Santos.

Round 2:

Dos Santos pawing with the jab, looking to land a big right. Lightning quick straight rights by KDS. Mir tries to answer but whiffs. Left hook by Dos Santos sends Mir crashing. Dos Santos wants him back up. Ref Herb Dean tells Mir to get up, which he does. Jab by Mir. Nice uppercut by Dos Santos. JDS still looking fast. Good right leg kick by Mir. Dos Santos lands a straight right that has Mir falling backwards, wincing in pain. JDS pounces and Dean is telling Mir to “fight back.” Mir turtles, takes more punches, then looks for a leg. JDS backs away, re-enters with an accurate and hard hammerfist, and Dean has seen enough.

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos wins by TKO at 3:04 of Round 2.