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By: Tony Becerra, MMATorch Contributor
This Saturday night at UFC 160, Cain Velazquez (11-1) makes his first title defense since regaining the belt this past December from Junior Dos Santos. He faces the man who knocked out Alistair Overeem to get here, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (18-4).
Being the heavyweight champion is no easy feat; the title of being "the baddest man on the planet" comes with a price: you have to defend it. Now, unlike other weight classes where we have seen their champions reign supreme for many years, the Heavyweight Title has only ever been defended twice at the most. The two men to hold that honor are none other than Hall of Famer Randy Couture, who successfully defended the title twice against Pedro Rizzo (UFC 31/34), and Brock Lesnar, who in his short time in the UFC made an impact which included two successful title defenses of his own against Frank Mir (UFC 100) and Shane Carwin (UFC 116). Since Brock's reign we have seen the title change hands three times.
In the history of the UFC, there have been 17 Heavyweight Champions since the title's inception, the most of any division. Suffice it to say, for many of these fighters, becoming champion was "easier" than staying champion. Cain's road on becoming the best Heavyweight Champion in the history of the UFC begins this Saturday night; however, there are several men who beg to differ. Looking ahead, here are five heavyweights who pose threat to Cain Velasquez's reign.
Antonio Silva (18-4): Antonio Silva showcased his stand up skills against Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 and the Champion was sure to take notice. The first fight against Cain did not go as planned for Silva, and many speculate that if it hadn't been for the gash on his forehead that impaired his vision, the fight would have had a different outcome. This Saturday night, Silva has a chance to redeem himself and his Black Belts in Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Karate will allow him to be the aggressor whether on the feet or on the ground.
Junior Dos Santos (15-2): Junior dos Santos has the one thing over Cain Velasquez that no one else has, a victory. Although the rematch didn't go the Brazilian's way, his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu still poses a serious threat to any heavyweight in the division. Remise would I be if I didn't mention JDS' striking power. With 12 of his 15 wins coming via knockout, Junior dos Santos is a threat wherever the fight takes place. Dos Santos has notable victories over Fabricio Werdum, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Shane Carwin, and Cain Velasquez. A victory Saturday night over Mark Hunt will more than warrant a rematch with Cain Velasquez.
Daniel Cormier (12-0): One of Cain Velasquez's strengths is his wrestling, and the man who could neutralize that strength is Daniel Cormier, who just so happens to be Velasquez's wrestling coach, along with his friend and training partner. Daniel keeps improving as a fighter and Cain himself has said that the Pan American champion is the toughest man he has fought and continues to fight in the gym on a daily basis. Although it is still unsure if they would ever fight, Cormier has the skillset to dethrone the champ if they are ever to cross paths down the road.
Fabricio Werdum (16-5): With notable victories over Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, and most recently Roy Nelson and Mike Russow, Werdum is on a trajectory straight to title contention. Werdum, a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, poses another threat to Cain Velasquez on the ground. There have been few that have attempted to take Cain down, and credit to Cain for not allowing them to hold him down, but one heavyweight who could use his skillset on the ground to his advantage would be Werdum, as he is a highly decorated Jiu-Jitsu champion.
Alistair Overeem (36-12): Alistair was considered a top contender for the heavyweight crown upon arriving in the UFC; however, a recent KO loss to Antonio Silva has postponed those plans for now. Pending a victory upon his return, Alistair could be in line for a title shot sooner than later. Overeem is a highly decorated kickboxer and mixed martial artist holding championships in K-1 (2010), DREAM, and Strikeforce. Alistair's size and speed poses a threat to any opponent, and although his chin was recently tested and failed, I don't think he will ever again go into a fight underestimating someone's punching power, especially if that man is Cain Velasquez.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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