Dos Santos doesn’t waste time beating Velasquez for title

Junior dos Santos captured the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title by knocking out Cain Velasquez on Saturday night at the Honda Center in the organization’s first event on network television.

Dos Santos caught Velasquez with a big right hand behind the champion’s left ear that sent him staggering to his back. He followed with a series of short left hands that prompted referee John McCarthy to call the fight.

"I’m feeling amazing. I can’t explain how I’m feeling," dos Santos said. "It was a really important fight for all of (mixed martial arts), but especially for me. I’m really happy to win this fight. Now, I’m the champion and it’s amazing."

Dos Santos, one of the most skilled boxers in the division, knew he had an edge if he could neutralize Velasquez’s superior wrestling ability.

"My game plan was to keep the fight standing. I love to fight there, and I’m very confident," he said. "My coach tells me I have pretty heavy hands. The start of the fight is a good time to use my power because I’m 100 percent at that moment."

Velasquez lamented his inability to execute in his first defense since winning the belt from Brock Lesnar in this same arena 13 months ago.

"It was my fault. I wanted to go in and pressure him and I waited back too long. I was playing his game, and it was my fault," he said of his first loss. "It happens. When you fight guys as tough as dos Santos, losses are going to happen. That’s how this fight game works."

UFC president Dana White was relieved things went so well from a technical standpoint after putting years into building the organization to this point of mainstream acceptance. He says the event was a success despite the abbreviated main event, which was the only fight on the hour-long Fox broadcast.

"What I was worried about was getting the show off flawlessly and without a hitch," White said. "Going through all the production and trying to make this thing smooth. Whenever the fight starts, anything can happen."

Dos Santos was just happy to achieve his dream of winning the heavyweight belt.

"When you’re a positive person and you give your all, good things happen to you," he said. "That was a good moment for me. I enjoyed it."

Dos Santos may not have seen the last of Velasquez, who at 29 is also still in his prime. While dos Santos will next meet the winner of a December bout between Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, a rematch with Velasquez in the near future is certainly a reasonable possibility.

"I just want to say sorry to all the fans, my family and friends. I disappointed you," Velasquez said. "I will come back and I will get this belt back, for sure."

With just one fight on the broadcast, most fans missed an action-packed lightweight contender bout between Clay Guida and Benson Henderson.

Henderson, a former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion, earned a shot at the UFC belt against champion Frankie Edgar with a unanimous decision victory over Guida.

"I think it’s a great matchup style-wise," Henderson said. "I definitely have to do a better job of sticking to the game plan against Frankie than I did against Clay tonight. I’m very excited for that. Frankie and I are going to put on a great show."

The title bout is tentatively scheduled for a card in Japan in February.

Henderson said he would have preferred a finish but was happy with the $65,000 fight-of-the-night bonus. He was even happier to get the victory, his third straight since coming to the UFC.

"I’m happy to get the ‘W’ as always, anyway I can get it," he said. "If the guy slips on some water, I’ll take it."

Dustin Poirier submitted Pablo Garza and Ricardo Lamas forced Cub Swanson to tap, both in the second round.

DaMarques Johnson and Robert Peralta each picked up knockout victories.

Japanese star Kid Yamamoto fell to 0-2 since joining the UFC with a decision loss to Darren Uyenoyama.

Aaron Rosa, Mike Pierce and Alex Caceres picked up decision wins on the undercard.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.