UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos main card play-by-play and live commentary

UFC 166 will be headlined by a third heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The event has thirteen fights overall, with five bouts making up the main card. The card kicks off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with four preliminary card fights that are being streamed right here on BE. Coverage will move over to Fox Sports 1 (Sportsnet 360 in Canada) for the final four fights of the preliminary card. That kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Finally, the main card will be aired on PPV, and that begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

This post provide live play-by-play and commentary on the pay-per-view main card. The PPV portion of the card is made up of three heavyweight bouts, one lightweight bout, and a battle in the flyweight division.

John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague

Round 1 - Montague scored first with a kick. Dodson was looking for the home run shot right away. They traded leg kicks. Dodson scored with a sneaky right to the ear. AFter a slower pace for a while, Dodson clubbed Montague with a left that sent him to the canvas. Montague desperately held on while Dodson battered him, but he stayed in the fight. He looked half out of it and ate four more lefts on the feet, but recovered quickly after that. Montague put together a nice combo on an advancing Dodson then blasted him with another left that sent the Mongoose to the mat face-first. Man that guy hits hard.

John Dodson defeated Darrell Montague by knockout (punch), 4:13, round 1

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan

Round 1 - Gonzaga opened with a big leg kick and landed a straight right. He snuck three more straight rights through Jordan's guard. Gonzaga clubbed him coming in with a right hook and dropped him! Hammerfists! It's over! WOW!

Gabriel Gonzaga defeats Shawn Jordan by knockout (punches), 1:33, round 1

Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez

Round 1 - Sanchez got off to a great start, jumping on Gil's back and looking for a choke. Melendez shook him off quickly though. Melendez landed two straight punches to the body. Sanchez was looking for leg kicks. Sanchez looked for a takedown, but ate a knee and a right. Melendez sored with a winging right. Sanchez with a leg kick, but Melendez grabbed the leg. He dragged him across the cage but couldn't get a takedown. Melendez with another right that opens a cut beside Diego's eye. Melendez went back to the body, Diego responded with two body kicks of his own. Sanchez turned up the intensity and they absolutely threw down in the final 15 seconds. Melendez dropped Diego briefly. 10-9 Melendez.

Round 2 - Melendez went back to body punching immediately. Melendez scored with two rights. They started to brawl a little more, with Gil getting the advantage. The referee stopped it to check the cut, but Diego was deemed good to go despite a big, big cut. Melendez landed a body kick, then clipped Diego with a right as he charged in. Sanchez slipped on a kick but got right back up. Melendez with a counter hook to the gut. Sanchez went back to kicking the body, which has been his most successful tactic so far. He scored a brief takedown but Melendez got up and punched him in the grill. Sanchez with a two-punch combo. Melendez stuffed a takedown and connected with a knee to the chin. 10-9 Melendez.

Round 3 - Sanchez opens with his patented uppercut. Melendez scored right back with a nice combo. THEY HAVE DECIDED TO GO BANANA! Both men are just throwing everything they have and both are scoring. Melendez scored with a huge combo, and Sanchez is a bloody mess. But he just keeps coming forward to war. The ref stopped things to check the cut again, and he's deemed good to go again. Which is great, because this fight is awesome. Sanchez landed a big kick, and Melendez came back with two huge punches. Sanchez beat his chest and asked for more. Then he dropped Melendez with a huge shot! HOLY CRAP! He went for a guillotine! It's not there! Gil's up and lands his own massive shot! THIS IS AMAZING! Diego's right back with a kick to the body. Melendez went for a takedown with 50 seconds to go. He took the back, but Sanchez reversed. Sanchez with three kicks. And true to form, they absolutely threw down for the last 10 seconds! ABSOLUTE CARNAGE. 10-9 Sanchez, but 29-28 Melendez. And an instant contender for fight of the year.

Gilbert Melendez defeats Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson

Round 1 - As expected, Cormier took Nelson down inside a minute. He landed a few rights to the body and head, and kept control of Nelson. Big Country tried to get up but Cormier wrapped him up. Roy ran away but Cormier was all over him. Cormier landed a few punches in the clinch against the cage. Nelson took one to the pills and that earned a brief stoppage. Nelson winged the big right at  him a couple of times but wasn't close to connecting. Cormier came back with a big shot and a head kick. He kept it up with a big left. Nelson swung and missed at the bell. 10-9 Cormier

Round 2 - Nelson landed a glancing right and missed with an uppercut. Cormier returned fire with a leg kick and a front kick. Cormier came over the top with a big right and pushed Nelson against the fence. Cormier scooped a single and got a brief takedown, but Nelson popped right back up. Cormier grinded away against the cage for a while, mixing in a few punches and knees. Upon separation, Cormier landed a very nice three-punch combo. Nelson wasn't getting anything off. Nelson finally landed a leg kick. 10-9 Cormier

Round 3 - Cormier threw a few kicks and a right. Cormier used a spinning attack, then connected with a front kick and a right. Nelson whiffed on the few things he threw. Cormier was landing with his hands, but nothing of significance. He got a brief takedown but Nelson was up in a second or two. Lots of kicks from Cormier. Nelson dropped his hands and begged him to attack. Nelson missed with a big uppercut. Cormier came in close over the last 30 seconds and landed a few shots. Nelson closed with a kick. 10-9 Cormier, 30-27 Cormier.

Daniel Cormer defeats Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos

Round 1 - Herb Dean is the ref. They came out throwing right away. Cain immediately went for a takedown. but Junior shucked him off. Junior rocked him! Velasquez came right back with his own heavy shot and clinched up. JDS with a head kick. Cain was walking him down and trying for the takedown, but couldn't get it. Knees to the thigh in the clinch from Cain. Velasquez dragged him down and dropped an elbow. Junior rolled over and eventually got up. Cain kept up the pressure against the cage. Uppercut from Cain. They grinded away against the cage for the re rest of the round. 10-9 Velasquez.

Round 2 - Good left hook from Cain. Brief takedown but JDS got up immediately. Velasquez clinched up and attacked Cigano's legs with knees. Cain backed off and threw some combinations that JDS avoided. Cain landed two jabs and went back against the fence with knees. Junior almost got a takedown somehow, but Cain popped up and clubbed him twice with lefts. Velasquez continued to be all over Dos Santos, smothering him against the cage and peppering him with small shots. JDS landed a good punch at the end. 10-9 Velasquez

Round 3 - Once again, JDS wanted to wing and Cain closed the distance right away. Velasquez connected with a right hook. Dos Santos scored with an elbow and a knee to the body but couldn't get Velasquez off of him. Junior went with a front kick that got caught. Velasquez dropped him with a huge punch! JDS survived! He got up but Cain dropped him again! WOW! Up again, and Cain's firing away! Dos Santos holding on! Again and again with the rights! He's getting a rest in the clinch, but Velasquez backed off a few times and tagged him. He made it out of the round! 10-8 Velasquez.

Round 4 - Cain opens with another big right. After a brief clinch, Velasquez backed off and battered him some more. Back to the  clinch. Short elbow from JDS, but Cain came back with three hard punches. Rinse, repeat - clinch for a bit, then bang on him some more. Nice elbow  from Dos Santos, he's still in the fight even though it's really one-sided. Big right from Junior. Combo from the challenger. Cain clinched up again though. Elbows from Velasquez in tight. Dean steps in to get the doc to check out Dos Santos. He's deemed good to go. JDS missed with a huge right hook, and Cain is back against the cage. JDS with another elbow though. Tons of blood on Junior's face. Two short left hooks land for Velasquez. 10-9 Velasquez.

Round 5 - Junior's right eye is nearly swollen shut, but the doc says he can continue. Cain with a big right. Junior with his own. And now Velasquez has a takedown. JDS wormed his way to the cage and got up, just to get blasted again. Velasquez scoring at will with dirty boxing. Velasquez once again separated and landed a few stiff shots. JDS briefly looked for a choke, but just sort of fell over. Cain beat him down with punches while JDS was turtling. Dean decided to stop the fight.

Cain Velasquez defeats Junior dos Santos by TKO (punches), 3:09, round 5