UFC 104: Cain Velasquez Eyes Title Shot After Beating Down Rothwell

Heavyweight Cain Velasquez (7-0) TKO’d “Big” Ben Rothwell (26-7) by referee stoppage due to strikes 58 seconds into round two at UFC 104 in Los Angeles Saturday.

Like the judges’ decision in the main event, referee Steve Mazzagatti’s decision to stop the fight as Rothwell was standing up from Velasquez’s ground’n'pound assault was controversial.

However, the outcome of this fight was not.  Velasquez dominated the much larger and more experienced Rothwell, taking him down at will and launching thunderous shot after shot to Rothwell’s face and head.

Even Velasquez was surprised he was so dominant.  “I just felt like he’d defend [my takedowns] a lot more,” he admitted after the fight.

Mazzagatti had warned Rothwell between rounds that he was taking too much unanswered damage, so when Velasquez began round two as round one had ened – putting Rothwell on his back pounding him – Mazzagatti stepped in and ended the fight.

Rothwell protested, perhaps justifiably as he was standing up when the fight was ended; but, only Mazzagatti’s timing was bad as there was no reason to continue allowing Rothwell to take so much damage.

A confident and now well-vetted Velasquez said after the fight, “I know I need to get better, but, you know, I came in this sport to be the champion.  I want that belt.  And, whomever wins that fight between Lesnar and Carwin, that’s the fight I want.”

UFC President Dana White would not commit to assuring Velasquez a title shot versus the winner between UFC champion second-ranked Brock Lesnar (4-1) and sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0).