He loses his first defense to the formidable Brazilian star Junior Dos Santos in his first defense? In boxing the new champ usually gets a soft touch for his first defense. Not in MMA though. Velasquez has been fighting all really tough guys - no easy fights. Now he will face once again someone who will be favored to beat him in devastating striker Dos Santos. If the things we've witnessed before come to fruition this could possibly be a short reign for Cain. This fellow is no Cheick Kongo - that's for sure. Unless you have an impregnable noggin like Roy Nelson this guys punches and kicks will damage you. I already cannot wait. It is a pick em' fight for me. If my life depended on it I will say Dos Santos by strikes in round 2.
Depends how he loses I'd say, if JDS stuffs all atempts to take the fight to the ground and dominates him standing before finishing him then his rep will definately suffer, its is a close decision or a close fight in which Cain gets TKOed then it obviously won't suffer as much. Lesnar was hyped as the best HW in the world but in reality he's lucky to be 5-2 rather than 4-3 in a career that includes fights with Min Soo Kim a declined Herring and a 46 year old Couture. The way he performed agenst Carwin and Cain also suggests to me that if he'd had a more tradisional buildup agenst say half a dozen mid level guys he may well not have come though undefeated, he's a potential Lashley/Griggs waiting to happen IMHO.
They probably will but it will be stupid. If JDS lands a good shot, he'll light Cain up like a firework on bonfire night!
Hell NO!!!!! Cain has shown enough all round skills to be regarded as a great prospect and a great head on his shoulder. Even if Cain looses he would still be regarded as a tough fighter who actually had to fight his way through the competition instead of being fed bums and retirees.
Agree. Cain and JDS are probably the two best the UFC division has to offer. No shame in either guy losing to the other The mass hate Brock got was largely down to the crazy unfounded hype, and ridiculous comments like how Brock was better than Fedor
Exactly. If JDS nullifies Cain's wrestling with ease then KO's him in the first few minutes, he'll get the Lesnar treatment. Cain isn't Fedor, and bad loss will still impact his reputation quite a bit at this stage. Never forget how fickle fans can be: just have a look at Sherdog before an event and after it, it's like entering an alternate universe. Here too, to a lesser extent.
I think it helps Cain that he is a likable person. Brock is a ****ing ******* and everyone was happy to see him get pounded like he owed Cain money.
No. Cain hasn't been hyped as "the Baddest man on the planet", and doesn't go around acting like a complete arrogant bully douche. Secondly, along with the aformentioned he won't run away and crawl in to a ball and verbally submit. The reality was very different from the hype.
This! Thread finished for me thanks. Cain is living proof that it is the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Brock still cannot figure out what hit him. Lesnar shoving that security guy out of his way on the way to the octagon betrayed his trepidation. Every fighter comes in with a certain degree of fear and nervousness. But Cain knows how to suppress and control it. To harness it to his advantage. Lesnar is less self-contained and will have to learn to control his emotions. A Fedor vs Cain fight would showcase two consumate pros. Too bad this will never happen. Werdum vs Velasquez would be a great match-up also. JDS seems like a terrible match-up for Werdum and probably blows him up again. Only the impregnable, cornfed noggin of Big Country could absorb those bombs. Nelson is the George Chuvalo of MMA!
