Cain Velasquez vs. Denis Stojnic
In a heavyweight showdown, Bosnian Denis “The Menace” Stojnic will make his UFC debut against extremely impressive rookie Cain Velasquez.
Thusfar, Velasquez has looked like a wrecking machine in his UFC appearances, so the Bosnian kickboxer will have a tough task in front of him if he wants to make a successful debut inside the Octagon.
It is hard to question Stojnic’s kickboxing pedigree. A member of the famed Team Golden Glory based in the Netherlands, Stojnic sharpens his skills with the likes of resurgent heavyweight Alistair Overeem and multiple-time K1 World Grand Prix champion Semmy Schilt. Clearly, then, his striking is sure to be world class. The big questions about Stojnic are his ground game and his level of experience.
Thusfar, Stojnic has only fought in Europe, and against completely unknown opposition. With no known grappling pedigree and the heavily striking-focused nature of his training camp, it is doubtful that Stojnic’s ground game is at a high level, which could very well prove his undoing against an opponent of Velasquez’s calibre.
Velasquez’s ground game is certainly not up for debate. A Junior College National Wrestling champion and two-time Division I All-American, Velasquez has the kind of wrestling credentials that can only be compared with the Coutures, Lesnars, and Lindlands. A relative newcomer to the sport, with only four fights under his belt, Velasquez has yet to see the second round of a fight, completely destroying everyone he has been matched up with. Surprisingly, his outstanding wrestling pedigree has not proved important in his four wins thusfar, as he has utterly dismantled all of his opponents, most recently highly-regarded Jake O’Brien, with crisp and powerful striking.
In the end, though, Velasquez’s wrestling should win him this fight, albeit indirectly. In the standup, Velasquez can trade shots without any particular fear of being taken down, which is a lot more than Stojnic can say. The high likelihood is that Velasquez will outbox Stojnic, but even if he finds himself in trouble he should be able to take the kickboxer down easily and unleash some vicious ground and pound while controlling top position.
First round TKO for Velasquez, who keep his unbeaten streak alive.
