UFC 121: Velasquez Dethrones Lesnar for Heavyweight Gold

UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez took place on October 23, 2010, at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Cain Velasquez stopped Brock Lesnar in the first round to become UFC heavyweight champion. Jake Shields won his promotional debut against Martin Kampmann, while Diego Sanchez, Matt Hamill and Brendan Schaub earned main-card decisions. Six preliminary bouts brought the event’s total to eleven.

Video: the UFC’s official extended preview, published before the event. Its championship and debut introductions reflect the matchups entering fight night.

Velasquez takes the heavyweight title

Lesnar attacked quickly, using his size and wrestling to put the challenger under immediate pressure. Velasquez recovered from the early takedowns, created his own opportunities and turned the contest in his favor. Once he gained control, his punches and sustained pressure left Lesnar struggling to reset. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4:12 of the first round.

The result was a TKO from punches. Velasquez won the championship in his ninth professional fight, completing an unbeaten rise to the title. His earlier knockout of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 had established the strength of his challenge; Anaheim delivered the defining result. The belt changed hands in the opening round, rather than through a decision or a late submission.

Lesnar had survived Shane Carwin’s first-round attack before winning at UFC 116. A second escape did not materialize against Velasquez. The contrast made UFC 121 an important turn in the heavyweight timeline: Lesnar entered as the established champion, but the challenger’s ability to recover and immediately respond determined who left with the title.

Shields edges Kampmann in his UFC debut

Jake Shields defeated Martin Kampmann by split decision in the welterweight co-main event. Shields brought championship experience from outside the UFC, but Kampmann’s defense and offense made his arrival a difficult fifteen-minute assignment. The judges scored it 30–27 and 29–28 for Shields, with the third card favoring Kampmann 29–28.

The result gave Shields the victory he needed to begin his UFC campaign, while also demonstrating the challenge of maintaining effective grappling against an opponent who repeatedly worked free. Kampmann remained competitive throughout. A split verdict accurately captures the official outcome; describing it as an effortless win would miss the resistance that shaped the bout.

Sanchez, Hamill and Schaub earn decisions

Diego Sanchez defeated Paulo Thiago in an energetic welterweight contest. Sanchez’s pressure, transitions and ground offense helped him recover from a first round in which Thiago posed significant threats. The unanimous decision returned Sanchez to the win column after losses to BJ Penn and John Hathaway. His victory required the full distance despite the heavy offense late in the fight.

Matt Hamill defeated Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision in a meeting between a former Ultimate Fighter contestant and his season-three coach. Hamill’s striking and wrestling produced enough sustained work to take the decision over the former light heavyweight champion. The teacher-and-student background supplied the promotional story, but the actual contest was decided by their performance over three rounds.

Brendan Schaub opened the main card with a unanimous decision over Gabriel Gonzaga. It was a meaningful heavyweight test against a former title challenger. Rather than depending on a quick knockout, Schaub used movement and combinations to build his advantage across fifteen minutes. All four non-title main-card fights therefore went to the judges, leaving Velasquez as the only main-card finisher.

McGee rallies on the preliminary card

Court McGee recovered from Ryan Jensen’s strong start and submitted him with an arm-triangle choke early in round three. Tom Lawlor outpointed Patrick Cote, while Daniel Roberts caught Mike Guymon in a first-round anaconda choke. Sam Stout and Chris Camozzi each won split decisions. Jon Madsen stopped Gilbert Yvel with punches in the opening round, completing the six preliminary results. McGee’s comeback provided an effective contrast to the champion’s much quicker finish later that night.

Complete UFC 121 results

Main card

• Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar — TKO (punches), round 1, 4:12; won the heavyweight title.
• Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann — split decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.

Preliminary card

• Court McGee def. Ryan Jensen — submission (arm-triangle choke), round 3, 1:21.
• Tom Lawlor def. Patrick Cote — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Daniel Roberts def. Mike Guymon — submission (anaconda choke), round 1, 1:13.
• Sam Stout def. Paul Taylor — split decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Chris Camozzi def. Dongi Yang — split decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Jon Madsen def. Gilbert Yvel — TKO (punches), round 1, 1:48.

Sources

• UFC: Velasquez wins the championship.
• UFC: all four remaining main-card bouts.
• UFC: the six preliminary fights.
• UFC: event and matchup background.
• Sherdog: complete fight record.

Article Tags

UFC 121, Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Jake Shields, UFC Heavyweight