Fans could be treated to a memorable heavyweight clinic this Saturday night at UFC 121 as the gladiator Brock Lesnar defends his UFC crown against motivated Mexican-American hitman Cain Velasquez. Meanwhile, pound-for-pound contender Jake Shields finally steps foot in the octagon with a welterweight title shot hanging in the balance.
Here's a closer look at the main card for UFC 121:
Brock Lesnar (5-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
In what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting heavyweight fights in MMA history, the powerhouse Lesnar faces yet another viable test on his path of destruction atop the UFC's heavyweight division.
Lesnar, 33, showed the heart of a champion when he rebounded from a violent first-round assault by Shane Carwin to submit the previously unbeaten Greg Jackson pupil in the second round this past July.
Coming from a professional wrestling background, the NCAA Division I All-American faced heavy criticism upon embarking on his MMA journey. After being submitted by Frank Mir in his UFC debut, Lesnar dominated Heath Herring, knocked out Randy Couture and avenged his loss against Mir to assume complete control of the division.
A serious case of diverticulitis threatened Lesnar's professional career, but he returned to peak form and he has since revamped both his diet and training camps.
Lesnar continues to evolve working alongside the likes of Erik Paulson, Matty Morgan and Greg Nelson in Minnesota. Additionally, he actively seeks tough sparring partners to add to his training camp. Having already trained with the likes of Couture and Cole Konrad, Lesnar recently brought kickboxing specialist Pat Barry into his camp to prepare for the vastly superior striking of Velasquez.
While his exceptional wrestling is second nature, Lesnar has improved on his striking and submission skills to become a well-rounded fighter. However, he will always rely on his main advantage, which is a massive frame and devastating power. Lesnar could very well be the most physically imposing specimen in heavyweight MMA history, while Velasquez is better suited for 230 or 240 pounds, a division that has yet to be introduced to the evolving sport.
Velasquez, 28, is a prodigy of Javier Mendez, Bob Cook and Dave Camarillo at San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy. With origins in Mexico, Velasquez could become the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion in either boxing or MMA.
Unbeaten in eight professional fights, Velasquez is a difficult opponent for anyone in the heavyweight division and Lesnar is no exception. A BJJ purple belt, Velasquez, too, comes from an NCAA Division I wrestling background, which could be a decisive factor on fight night.
In his bouts against Couture and Carwin, Lesnar struggled with his takedown attempts in the first round despite being the bigger and more decorated wrestler. If the athletic Velasquez can stuff Lesnar's takedown attempts and take the fight into deep water, Lesnar could be in a heap of trouble.
Velasquez's camp has continually emphasized his remarkable conditioning, calling it the best in the sport. That being said, Lesnar is also a cardio machine. Neither man has ever entered championship rounds, which is where I expect this fight to go.
With lightning quick strikes, Velasquez's hands are leaps and bounds ahead of his opponent. In his last appearance this past February, he knocked out the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera in the first round. However, Velasquez showed some defensive weaknesses when he got tagged and staggered by Cheick Kongo numerous times in their meeting last June. If he eats any clean bombs from Lesnar, it will be a short night for the California native. Conversely, if he can land one of his lightning quick combinations, Lesnar's title run could be in jeopardy.
Both possessing solid skills and an ability to recover from damaging shots, this bout could make for an epic five-round heavyweight encounter. Lesnar is the favorite solely based on his size advantage. If the UFC introduces a weight category between the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, Velasquez may indeed be the king for years to come.
Betting against a fighter who Camarillo calls more physically gifted than B.J. Penn could be a recipe for failure. However, Lesnar is a true behemoth and an aggressive combatant who knows how to use his skillset to his advantage. If the proud hunter and family man employs his gameplan and utilizes his massive frame to smother the much smaller Velasquez, power will trump technique on Saturday night.
Martin Kampmann (17-3) vs. Jake Shields (25-4-1)
The long-awaited UFC debut of Shields becomes a reality at UFC 121 when he faces the durable Danish veteran Kampmann.
Fresh off a dominating decision victory over MMA trailblazer Dan Henderson, the 31-year-old Shields is returning to the welterweight division to make a run for the UFC title. Interestingly, in assessing the level of competition at both 170 and 185 pounds, one can argue Shields is actually fighting in a deeper and more talent-rich division.
Having already proven to be a force at middleweight, the former Rumble on the Rock, EliteXC and Strikeforce juggernaut will have his hands full against Kampmann.
Anchored at Cesar Gracie's Academy alongside Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez, Shields is in his prime. A world-class wrestler and quite possibly the best BJJ specialist in the welterweight division, Shields has already been guaranteed a title shot if he prevails in his debut.
According to UFC president Dana White, beating a middleweight fighter the caliber of Henderson was already enough to warrant a title shot in his debut. The win was just the latest chapter in Shields' dominating run throughout recent years as he had racked up wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler and Jason Miler.
Stylistically, however, Kampmann is the perfect test for Shields in his debut. The 28-year-old Xtreme Couture product surprised many observers with his decision win over Paulo Thiago this past June. Having lost only three times in 20 pro bouts, Kampmann is a stiff test with highly underrated grappling skills and very dangerous striking.
Shields' Achilles heel is the standup game, where he was stunned by Daley and Henderson before bringing the fight into his comfort zone on the mat. If Kampmann can unload strikes and avoid getting taken down, he will have an advantage standing.
But Shields' ability to easily outgrapple Henderson was indicative of how good his wrestling has become. A recent video blog shows Shields training with former U.S. Olympian-turned-Bellator champion Ben Askren and he fares quite well. Kampmann is hardly a fish out of water on the ground, but Shields' relentless top control is overwhelming for most middleweights, let alone welterweights.
Although Kampmann can shock Shields with an offensive flurry in the first round, the likelier outcome is a one-sided grappling affair that ends with Shields getting his hand raised.
Paulo Thiago (13-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (21-4)
In what is expected to be Sanchez's last fight at welterweight, he will be matched up against the well-rounded Brazilian Thiago.
The 29-year-old BJJ and judo black belt Thiago made pundits take notice when he knocked out Josh Koscheck in his UFC debut last year. The heavy-handed submission ace went on to drop bouts against Jon Fitch and Kampmann, while trouncing Jacob Volkmann and Mike Swick.
Thiago's MMA career takes a backseat to his day-to-day profession as a member of BOPE, the elite Brazilian special police task force. No stranger to overcoming adversity, the Team Black House member will be looking to take Sanchez's head off with looping punches this Saturday night. He will surely be well prepared for combat as his training partners include the Nogueiras and Anderson Silva.
Aged 28, Sanchez defeated Kenny Florian to win the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV. After a solid run at 170 pounds, which included wins over Karo Parisyan and Nick Diaz, Sanchez would drop back-to-back decisions against Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, which prompted him to make his eventual drop to 155 pounds.
After beating Clay Guida in a thrilling fight of the year candidate, Sanchez suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of B.J. Penn at UFC 107. Sanchez then returned to the 170-pound division in hopes of reclaiming the success he enjoyed in 2006. However, British prospect John Hathaway used his much bigger frame to control Sanchez en route to a decision this past May.
A key factor in this bout will be Sanchez's improved training camp. Previously anchored at the University of Jiu Jitsu under Saulo Ribeiro, Sanchez has recently returned to his roots in New Mexico where he is once again training under Greg Jackson. Trying to learn from Kampmann's victory over Thiago at UFC 115, Sanchez, whose aggressive top game is among the most dominant in the UFC, may pursue a takedown in hopes of outgrappling Thiago on the mat.
While Sanchez is a well-rounded opponent, Thiago is the naturally bigger athlete and he will have more tools at his disposal. With proven knockout power and indisputable grappling credentials, Thiago will likely earn the judges' nod in a back-and-fourth three-round affair that will feature numerous high-level transitions and reversals.
Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) vs. Matt Hamill (9-2)
The teacher is looking to serve a lesson to his student this Saturday as Ortiz steps into the octagon against Hamill, his pupil from the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter."
At 35 years of age, Ortiz is making his last big run in the UFC. After a hiatus spanning over a full calendar year, Ortiz returned last November, dropping a razor-thin split decision to Forrest Griffin.
One of the most recognized fighters in MMA history, Ortiz has compiled career wins over the likes of Griffin, Evan Tanner, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ken Shamrock and Vitor Belfort. The Team Punishment founder was a standout wrestler in college and also competed in the 2000 Abu Dhabi submission tournament where he defeated Matt Hughes and Rumina Sato.
The 34-year-old Hamill is a three-time NCAA Division III champion with a solid MMA run that has included wins over Tim Boetsch, Mark Munoz and Keith Jardine.
The only prominent deaf competitor in MMA, Hamill will be extra motivated to perform at the top of his game after Ortiz made comments about deaf people having soft heads, for which he has since issued an apology.
Both fighters actually match up quite evenly as they excel in similar areas. However, Ortiz can learn from Rich Franklin's stoppage of Hamill in September 2008. With a stalemate expected in the wrestling department, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" should capitalize from a superior boxing base. With power and experience on his side, Ortiz should do enough to earn the victory in what is likely to be a very close fight.
Brendan Schaub (6-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5)
The runner-up from the tenth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" takes a substantial step up in competition against the former heavyweight title challenger Gonzaga.
Schaub, 27, had only four professional bouts before being selected as a "TUF" cast member. He impressively defeated Jon Madsen and Marcus Jones to earn his ticket to the finals where he suffered a first-round knockout courtesy of the more experienced Roy Nelson.
A product of Greg Jackson and Trevor Whittman, Schaub needed less than two minutes to vanquish his next two UFC foes, Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer.
Despite possessing a BJJ purple belt and solid hands, Schaub may be in for a wake-up call against the dangerous 31-year-old Brazilian.
Gonzaga, a BJJ black belt under Wander Braga, recorded the biggest victory of his career when he brutally knocked out Pride legend Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic with a highlight reel head kick at UFC 70 in 2007.
The win earned him a title shot against then-UFC heavyweight king Randy Couture, a bout he ended up losing after suffering a broken nose early in the fray.
Since that fight, Gonzaga is 3-3 with all three losses coming against elite fighters such as Fabricio Werdum, Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos.
While Schaub has fared well against prospects in the division, the well-rounded Gonzaga is in a different league. Gonzaga's experience, power and well-rounded skills will guide him to a much-needed victory, though Schaub can always shock the world and consequently skyrocket up the heavyweight ladder.
