Sherdog’s Top 10: UFC Heavyweight Title Fights

7. Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC 155
Dec. 29, 2012 | Las Vegas

He waited 13 months for a second chance, and Velasquez made certain it would not escape his grasp. The American Kickboxing Academy ace handed dos Santos a protracted beating over five rounds, as he earned a unanimous verdict in their rematch and recaptured the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The scorecards told a story of utter domination: 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44 for Velasquez. In Rounds 2 through 5, Velasquez brutalized the champion in the clinch and grounded him at will. Dos Santos fought back valiantly but had no steam on his punches. By the conclusion of their 25-minute encounter, his face was barely recognizable because of severe bruising and various abrasions; a grotesque swelling reared near his right eye. FightMetric figures show Velasquez was successful on 11 of his 33 takedown attempts, all while outlanding dos Santos 210-66 in total strikes and 111-57 in significant strikes. The defeat snapped a 10-fight winning streak for the Brazilian.

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