UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir – ‘The Heavyweights’ Preview & Event Coverage
By PDG Staff
*Click here for UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir – Weigh-In Results*
*Click here for UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir – Live Results & Extended Event Coverage*
This Memorial Day weekend the UFC brings mixed martial arts fans an all heavyweight main card live on pay-per-view featuring the reigning champion Junior dos Santos as faces off against ground specialist Frank Mir. Although this card has been changed more than a small child’s diapers, it still has the talent that is more than capable of delivering an exciting night of fights. Making his return after losing the heavyweight belt, Cain Velasquez will face off against Antonio Silva in Silva’s UFC debut after he lost to Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix. Also on the main card, The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner Roy Nelson will try to get back on track as he will fight Dave Herman and his cult following. Shane Del Rosario makes his UFC debut against the Croatian Stipe Miocic and rounding out the main card will be Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Lavar Johnson, who will be in the Octagon for the second time in two months.
The preliminary card on FX features The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 winner Diego Brandao squaring off against Darren Elkins and Edson Barboza will take on former WEC champion Jamie Varner who is making his UFC return. Jason “Mayhem” Miller will try to get back in the win column when he fights C.B. Dollaway and Dan Hardy versus Duane “Bang” Ludwig will kick off the televised card on FX.
Once again the UFC will be offering fans three free fights on their Facebook page as Jacob Volkmann takes on Paul Sass, Kyle Kingsbury will fight Glover Teixeira and Mike Brown and Daniel Pineda will start the night of fights.
Junior dos Santos (14-1) vs. Frank Mir (16-5)
UFC Heavyweight Championship Bout
Junior dos Santos made his mark in his UFC debut by knocking out top-ten ranked Fabricio Werdum in only eighty-one seconds. Instantly putting the heavyweight division on notice, dos Santos then stopped fellow prospect Stefan Struve in a mere fifty-four seconds before battering PRIDE‘s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic into a third round submission.
Dos Santos’ stock continued to rise with a first round TKO over Dutch striker and international talent Gilbert Yvel, before an impressive first round TKO over one-time UFC contender Gabriel Gonzaga. Dos Santos then outpointed The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner and former IFL champion Roy Nelson before earning a unanimous decision over former UFC contender Shane Carwin after coaching the thirteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter.
On the UFC’s premiere on FOX, Dos Santos dethroned Cain Velasquez and took home the UFC heavyweight title belt with a sixty-four second knockout in the first round. Dos Santos has earned nine wins by TKO and three by submission (albeit one due to strikes and one due to exhaustion) in fourteen professional victories. Dos Santos has finished eleven opponents inside the first round and is currently on a nine-fight win streak and despite the withdrawal of his original opponent Alistair Overeem, dos Santos faces a tough challenge if Mir can take him to the ground.
Quick Facts:
UFC Record: 8-0 (6 TKO, 1 Sub)
Strengths: Great boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, good takedown defense
Weaknesses: Untested off his back
Key Wins: Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Filipovic, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga, Stefan Struve
Notable Loss: Joaquim Ferreira
Frank Mir has established himself as one of the top lightweights in the world, even with a serious motorcycle accident almost ending his career eight years ago. Mir earned his way into the UFC after only two wins and earned a 5-1 record inside the promotion to earn a bout against Tim Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight title. Mir won the bout by technical submission after breaking Sylvia’s arm with an armbar and referee Herb Dean called a stop to action.
Following the bout Mir fractured his femur and tore the ligaments in his knee when a car struck him while riding his motorcycle. He didn’t return to mixed martial arts competition for nearly two years, and looked overweight and sluggish in his return loss to Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz. He then won an uninspired performance against Dan Christison before suffering a knockout loss to Brandon Vera. Mir finally returned to form in his next bout, taking down kickboxer Antoni Hardonk and ending the bout with a kimura in only 1:17.
Mir then welcomed current UFC heavyweight champion and former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar into the UFC with a first round kneebar submission before becoming the first person to stop former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with strikes to earn the UFC’s interim heavyweight title. In the heavyweight unification bout Mir was stopped by Lesnar with ground and pound, but rebounded in dominant fashion against Cheick Kongo. Mir then suffered another setback as he was knocked out by Shane Carwin at UFC 111. Since then though he has put together three straight wins including a nasty submission against ‘Big Nog’ and when Alistair Overeem withdrew from the main event, Mir stepped in.
Quick Facts:
UFC Record: 14-5 (3 TKO, 8 Sub)
Strengths: Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, improved striking, good takedowns
Weaknesses: Believes his striking has reached the elite level of a K-1 fighter
Key Wins: Mirko Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2), Brock Lesnar, Roy Nelson, Tim Sylvia, Antoni Hardonk, Wes Sims (2), Pete Williams, Cheick Kongo
Notable Losses: Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Brandon Vera, Ian Freeman, Marcio Cruz
Cain Velasquez (9-1) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (16-3)
PunchDrunkGamer Match-Up of the Night
Cain Velasquez joined the UFC in only his third professional bout against Brad Morris at UFC 83. The AKA prospect won by TKO on the undercard before moving up in competition to face Jake O’Brien where he secured his fourth straight first round TKO. Gaining popularity with the fans, Velasquez then went to the second round for the first time in his career against the ultra-tough Denis Stojnic before earning another TKO.
Velasquez then showcased a solid chin and a ton of heart against Cheick Kongo, using dominant wrestling and ground and pound to earn a unanimous decision – the only time he has gone the distance. After a second round TKO victory over IFL stand-out Ben Rothwell, Velasquez knocked out former PRIDE heavyweight champion and former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Then Velasquez got his chance to unify the heavyweight belts and he stopped Brock Lesnar inside the first round to earn the unanimous UFC’s heavyweight title. His party was short lived though as he lost his title and his next fight when Junior dos Santos knocked him out on the UFC’s debut on FOX.
Velasquez owns eight of his nine professional victories by TKO, including six inside the first round. Despite an NCAA Div I all-American wrestling background, Velasquez possesses a strong Muay Thai attack and some of the best conditioning in the heavyweight division.
Quick Facts:
UFC Record: 7-1 (6 TKO)
Strengths: Good kickboxing, two-time NCAA Div I All-American wrestler, great conditioning
Weaknesses: Criticized ground and pound power
Key Wins: Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Jake O’Brien
Notable Loss: Junior dos Santos
Antonio Silva has made a name originally as a super heavyweight, but most recently in the 265 pound category with his powerful hands, speed, agility, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu prowess. Silva began his career with a 7-1 record, including wins over Tengiz Tedoradze, Ruben “Warpath” Villareal, and Tom Erikson before joining EXC.
Silva went 4-0 with Elite XC, winning his promotional debut over Wesley “Cabbage” Correira by TKO before submitting Jonathan Wiezorek with a rear naked choke. Silva then edged out a decision over former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez before knocking out Justin Eilers. Following his run in EXC, Silva went to Japan where he fought for SRC.
With SRC, Silva earned wins over Yoshihiro Nakao (injury) and Jim York before joining Strikeforce. In his promotional debut Silva lost a decision to Fabricio Werdum, but he rebounded to put together a three-fight win streak. Silva’s rebound came as a unanimous decision over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and was followed up by a knockout over Mike Kyle. Then Silva won the biggest fight of his career when he won by TKO due to a doctor stoppage over Fedor Emelianenko in the opening round of Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament. In the second round of the tournament though he ran into Daniel Cormier who crushed him in round one on his way to eventually winning the tournament.
Quick Facts:
UFC Record: 0-0
Strengths: Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, most wins by TKO, size
Weaknesses: Struggles most in bouts he can’t score the takedown
Key Wins: Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Mike Kyle, Tengiz Tedoradze
Notable Losses: Daniel Cormier, Fabricio Werdum, Eric Pele
Roy Nelson (16-7) vs. Dave Herman (21-3)
Roy Nelson (3-3, UFC) enters Saturday’s bout coming off a loss at the hands of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 143 via unanimous decision. Prior to that loss though he posted a win over PRIDE’s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic that stopped a two-fight skid against current champion Junior Dos Santos and former champion Frank Mir.
Nelson entered the UFC as a former IFL champion by way of The Ultimate Fighter. Nelson reached the finals on the tenth season where he knocked out previously undefeated Brendan Schaub. Nelson followed up with a thirty-nine second knockout over prospect Stefan Struve.
Nelson owns nine of his career wins by knockout or TKO and five by submission. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt owns notable victories over Mario Rinaldi, The Ultimate Fighter 2 finalist Brad Imes, Antoine Jaoude, and UFC veteran Fabiano Scherner.
Dave Herman (1-1, UFC) was one of several replacement fighters on this all heavyweight main card and is looking to rebound after getting knocked out by Stefan Struve back in February. Before that loss Herman had been on a three fight win streak including a win in his UFC debut when he scored a TKO over John-Olav Einemo at UFC 131.
The man nicknamed “Pee-Wee” began his mixed martial arts career back in 2006 and he won his first fifteen bouts including notable wins over Mario Rinaldi and Ron Waterman under the EliteXC banner before suffering the first loss of his career at the hands of Choi Mu-Bae in Sengoku – World Victory Road. Herman rebounded though, winning his next three fights including wins over Jim York and MMA legend Don Frye. He then lost to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou due to a disqualification for an illegal knee.
Herman’s exciting and unpredictable fighting style has drawn him somewhat of a cult following amongst hardcore MMA fans.
Shane Del Rosario (11-0) vs. Stipe Miocic (8-0)
Shane Del Rosario (0-0, UFC) enters the UFC heavyweight division with an undefeated record. The Team Oyama product is coming off a herniated disk that has kept him out of action since he defeated Lavar Johnson in February 2011 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva. After going 8-1 in kickboxing and winning the WBC Muay Thai World Heavyweight Championship twice, Del Rosario made the jump to MMA full time in 2008 with a 4-0 record.
Del Rosario’s mixed martial arts career has included stops in King of the Cage, the ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series, M-1 and Strikeforce. He holds additional notable career victories over Lolohea Mahe, Maxim Grishin and Carl Seumanutafa.
Stipe Miosic (2-0, UFC) enters this weekend’s bout coming off a first round knockout of Phil De Fries earlier this year that earned him knockout of the night honors. Miosic, the Croation, began his professional mixed martial arts career back in 2010 and has a background as a former Golden Gloves champion and an NCAA Division I wrestler.
Miosic has finished seven of his eight opponents, one submission and six knockouts, and he holds an additional notable win over Joey Beltran. Prior to joining the UFC, Miosic fought under the NAAFS out of Ohio where in his last fight he defeated Bobby Brents to win the heavyweight belt.
Stefan Struve (23-5) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-5)
Stefan Struve (7-3, UFC) has pieced together a 7-3 UFC record, including a submission of the night over Chase Gormley, a knockout of the night over Christian Morecraft and a submission of the night when he choked out Pat Barry at UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson. Prior to those last two wins, Struve was knocked out by a superman punch at the hands of Travis Browne.
At 6’11” tall the European is nicknamed Skyscraper and has had 15 of his 23 career wins by submission and owns notable career victories over Pat Barry, Paul Buentello, Sean McCorkle, and Mario Neto. His most notable losses have come against Travis Browne, Roy Nelson and the current UFC champion Junior dos Santos.
Lavar Johnson (2-0, UFC) has started off his UFC career in electrifying fashion as he earned knockout of the night honors in both of his UFC fights so far with his 36 second knockout of Joey Beltran earlier this year and then a 22 second knockout over Pat Barry. Prior to those wins, Johnson who is the younger brother of “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson, was on a two-fight loss skid. Following a seven-fight win streak including three under the Strikeforce banner, Johnson lost consecutive bouts to Shane del Rosario and Shawn Jordan.
Back in 2009, Johnson and several other people where shot at a 4th of July party and he was hospitalized in critical care. Once released from the hospital Johnson resumed training and made his comeback in March of 2010. He holds additional notable career victories over Lolohea Mahe and Virgil Zwicker.
UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir – Fight Card
Main Card (Pay-Per-View):
Junior dos Santos (14-1) vs. Frank Mir (16-5)
Cain Velasquez (9-1) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (16-3)
Roy Nelson (16-7) vs. Dave Herman (21-3)
Shane Del Rosario (11-0) vs. Stipe Miocic (8-0)
Stefan Struve (23-5) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-5)
Preliminary Bouts (FX):
Diego Brandao (14-7) vs. Darren Elkins (13-2)
Edson Barboza (10-0) vs. Jamie Varner (19-6)
Jason “Mayhem” Miller (23-8) vs. C.B. Dollaway (11-4)
Dan Hardy (23-10) vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig (21-12)
Preliminary Bouts (UFC Facebook):
Jacob Volkmann (14-2) vs. Paul Sass (12-0)
Kyle Kingsbury (11-3) vs. Glover Teixeira (17-2)
Mike Brown (25-8) vs. Daniel Pineda (17-7)
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