Cain Velasquez remains focused on ‘Bigfoot,’ picks JDS at UFC 160

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez is one of he more exciting fighters in MMA today, mixing a lethal potion of wrestling and standup skills that saw him dominate Junior dos Santos at UFC 155. And while many clamored for a rematch between the two, Velasquez ultimately found himself fighting Antonio Silva at UFC 60 in a rematch of a different sort.

And that’s a bout Velasquez knows he can’t look past, commenting with the following:

“I know what I’m doing it for. It’s to protect the belt and that’s all that matters.”

“He’s on a two-fight streak. He’s fought two tough guys. He knocked out Overeem. So he’s tough, he’s dangerous. He’s always been that way. We can’t look past him in this fight. We know what he can do, so it’s all about defending the title. I’m definitely up for it.” – via MMA Fighting

A clear-cut mindset from the always-focused champion, who most fans believe to be on a collision course with JDS for a third time. But Velasquez knows he must get past ‘Bigfoot’ for a second time, which appeared to be quite the easy task when he floored the Brazilian in one of the bloodier fights in 2012. On top of that, dos Santos himself with have a tall task ahead of him when he meets up with the Samoan striker Mark Hunt. Cain gave his take on the subject:

“Both Junior and Mark have heavy hands, have good stand up. [Hunt winning] could happen. Either one could win in this fight just because of both scenarios, both guys having good hands and being good on their feet. If he beats Junior, or Junior beats him, both of those guys deserve the shot at the title.”

Some good points from the California-based knockout artist, who offered his prediction bluntly:

“Junior. He’s more well-rounded. I don’t know, I just think he’s more skilled in the stand up a little bit.”

Quite the statement from Velasquez, who praises the standup skills of dos Santos even more than that of the K-1 veteran Hunt. UFC 160 will have quite the shoes to fill, as last year’s Memorial Day heavyweight card at UFC 146 delivered in a big way. Are Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos destined for an immediate trilogy bout, or can ‘Bigfoot’ and ‘The Super Samoan’ throw a wrench in the gears?