Dos Santos: Velasquez's take downs won't matter [1]

ABS-CBNnews.com | 12/27/2012 7:40 PM

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MANILA, Philippines – Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is confident that Cain Velasquez’s take down won’t matter when they collide in a rematch in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155 this yearend.

Dos Santos expects the former champion to bring the fight to the ground especially after Velasquez was humiliated by a first-round knockout in their first meeting over a year ago.

“I think he's gonna use his take down and use his ground and pound against me. He's really good in that area,” said the heavyweight champion in Countdown to UFC 155.

Dos Santos believes that he can negate Velasquez’s wrestling skills through take down defense and a bit of grappling.

“I think I have pretty good wrestling skills. I've been taken down and i come back to my feet very fast,” he said.

However, Dos Santos prefers to fight standing as that’s where he’s most dangerous.

Banking on his one-punch knockout power, Dos Santos won nine fights by knockout, the most in the UFC heavyweight division.

But Velasquez believes he can correct his previous mistakes and reclaim the crown he lost to Dos Santos.

He said his vast experience in wrestling will help him reach that goal.

“If you lost in wrestling and have a rematch you kind of knew what you did wrong in the first one and then improve it,” said Velasquez. “It'll be a tougher match. I'm gonna go in and fight him... I'm gonna take the fight to him.”

Velasquez will challenge Dos Santos for the heavyweight title on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The fight airs on Balls Channel on Sunday.