At UFC 146, former UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (9-1; 7-1 UFC) faces former Strikeforce fighter Antonio Silva (16-3; UFC Debut). This is the semi-main event of the evening, and, as is the case with all of the UFC 146 main card, is a Heavyweight fight. Velasquez is currently the #3 Heavyweight in the world according to the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, while Silva sits at #10. The PPV card begins Saturday, May 26 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Originally, this was planned as Velsquez vs. Frank Mir. But when Mir stepped into the main event to replace Alisatir Overeem, Bigfoot Silva took his place. The result is a match between two highly regarded talents, but also two men both bouncing back from loses. It creates a unique situation where the winner could be next in line for a title shot, while the loser will be on a two fight losing streak and in real need of a win. Both have a lot to prove here, and I expect both men to come out hungry.
How do these two stack up?
Velasquez: 29 years old | 6'1" | 77" reach
Silva: 32 years old | 6'4" | 82" reach
What have these two done recently?
Velasquez: L - Junior dos Santos (KO) | W - Brock Lesnar (TKO) | W - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (KO)
Silva: L - Daniel Cormier (KO) | W - Fedor Emelianenko (TKO) | W - Mike Kyle (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Not long ago, Cain Velasquez was in much the same position dos Santos is in today. He was the UFC Heavyweight champion, undefeated in the Octagon (and, for Cain, undefeated overall), seen as the man to bring stability to the division. But a 64 second KO loss to Cigano put an end to that. Now, the former #1 is in a tough spot. He needs a win here to prove two things. First, that he does have power in his hands (an accusation that has plagued him throughout his career). Second, that the torn rotator cuff that kept him on the sidelines for most of 2011 is behind him and not a career-derailing injury. A loss here will be very bad for Cain, while a dominant win will remind everyone that this is the same man who KO'd Nog and who steamrolled Lesnar.
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva makes his UFC debut here after making his name in the EliteXC and Strikeforce Heavyweight divisions. An oft-discussed prospect for some time, Silva really had his break-out moment in the Striekforce Grand Prix when he upset tournament favorite Fedor Emelianenko with an impressive ground and pound beating. Silva gained great momentum from that bout, but then lost some of it when he was knocked out by Daniel Cormier. With Cormier recently dominating Josh Barnett, that loss becomes less damaging in hindsight. And in reality, now that he's in the UFC, his Strikeforce accomplishments only mean so much. He needs to show that he is a contender on the big stage, and that begins here.
Why should you care?
I'm very interested to see how this one plays out. Which man will take a huge step forward, which a huge step back? There's a lot on the line, and that makes for a great fight.
More UFC 146 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir
UFC 146 Staff Picks And Predictions
UFC 146: Roy Nelson Vs. Dave Herman Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 146: Before And After - Tim Burke
UFC 146: Up Close And Personal With Dan Hardy Part II - Dan Hardy
UFC 146: Stipe Miocic Vs. Shane Del Rosario Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 146 Video: Fighter Diary - Jason 'Mayhem' Miller - Tim Burke
Video: Countdown To UFC 146 - Tim Burke
UFC 146 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC 146: Roy Nelson Offers To Pay For WADA Level Drug Testing Against Next Opponent - Kid Nate
UFC 146: Up Close And Personal With Dan Hardy Part I - Steph Daniels
UFC 146: Stefan Struve Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 146: Dos Santos Vs. Mir Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC's Stipe Miocic Plans To Continue Firefighting For Duration Of UFC Career - Steph Daniels
UFC 146: Junior dos Santos' Defense Is His Offense - T.P. Grant
UFC 146: FX Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 146: Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC's Shane Del Rosario Hopes To Be A Title Contender After Three Fights - Steph Daniels
UFC 146: Stefan Struve Blogs About New Opponent Lavar Johnson - Tim Burke
UFC 146 Fight Card: Dos Santos Vs. Mir