My SBN brethren Jesse Holland makes the case for it at MMAMania:
After what each combatant has accomplished, it's safe to say that outside of each other, any other heavyweight would be a step down in competition. If it's truly about putting on the best fights, then why have either fighter risk their spot in line against a lesser opponent?
Or even worse, why have Cain Velasquez sit on the sidelines until the end of the year?
UFC President Dana White has specifically named Velasquez the substitute fighter for Brock Lesnar in case the winner of Mir vs. Carwin is unable to compete due to illness or injury. That's fine, but that shouldn't prevent him from competing on the same card.
And the timing couldn't be better.
UFC 116 (July 3, 2010):
Brock Lesnar vs. the winner of Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos SantosThe event gives all four competitors ample time for rest, recovery and training -- and puts the winner of each contest in line for a heavyweight title fight at the promotion's annual year end event.
It's arguable that Junior Dos Santos has earned a title shot before Cain Velasquez, even though Velasquez just destroyed Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last month. Both guys are really young with JDS at 25 yrs old, and Velasquez checking in at 27 years of age. That fight as the co-main event at UFC 116 with Brock Lesnar headlining against the winner of Frank Mir and Shane Carwin would be sick and would line up the year end event nicely. IF Carwin or Mir comes out of that fight unscathed it would put Velasquez and Dos Santos on the sidelines for quite some time as well. What do you guys and gals say and how would you see that fight going down?
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