UFC 166 results: Cain Velasquez TKOs Junior dos Santos at 3:09 of round 5

Cain Velasquez faced Junior dos Santos for the Heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 166. It took five rounds, but every minute showed that it was the two best heavyweights in the octagon in Houston, TX. After 23 minutes and a vicious beating, Cain retained his title with a TKO in the 5th and final round of the fight.

The champ and the challenger got right to it.  JDS landed good shots early, especially with his lead hand, but Cain scored two big takedown. On the second, he was able to keep JDS down and take the back before Junior scrambled out. Cain was persistent and pushed Dos Santos right back against the fence. Despite the early success with his hands, JDS couldn't escape the clinch before the end of the round.

Cain closed distance early to put dos Santos' back against the fence. Cain worked his dirty boxing. Dos Santos showed some great head movement to avoid punches. He escaped the cinch for a minute, but Cain was right back on him. Trip takedown by Junior, but Cain got right back up and in the clinch. Good elbows from JDS as they separate, but Cain pushes right back to clinch up and punish again.

Junior starts out the third round with a big right hand, but finds himself in a familiar position with his back against the cage. Cain was content to grind and it was effective. He won the first two rounds and took advantage of JDS backing into the cage. Halfway through the round Cain dropped JDS in the middle of the cage. The contender got back to his feet but was dropped again. It looked like referee Herb Dean tapped Cain to stop the fight, but the action continued. Dos Santos' face was swollen and bloody as Cain went back to working him in the clinch.

Between rounds it looked like a broken nose on dos Santos and blood leaking from his cauliflower ear. When the action started back up, he still looked slow and dazed while Cain attacked. He mixed up combinations and clinches. Dos Santos landed a few good shots in the intermittent separations, but round 4 was mostly Cain, just like the previous three. Dean called a stop to the action to check out the cut above Junior's eye. He's leaking, but they let it continue. Dos Santos lands some good punches and elbows, but Cain didn't slow down. JDS constantly wiped the blood from his face before the bell.

Ringside physician checked out JDS between rounds but let the fight continue. An early takedown from Cain didn't last long before JDS returned to his feet. Cain kept it in the clinch again. He peppered Dos Santos with punches and knees. JDS found space and grabbed a front headlock that Cain slipped out of. It was finally too much for the challenger who turtled after the escape before Herb Dean finally called a halt to the action.

Cain Velazquez held on to the Heavyweight title with a 5th round TKO finish over Junior dos Santos at 3:09

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