UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir. May 26, 2012. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The first UFC event in history with an all-heavyweight main card. Billed as ‘The Heavyweights.’ Original main event: Alistair Overeem vs. Junior dos Santos for the HW Championship. On April 4, Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test (testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio 14-to-1, against the permitted 6-to-1). He was suspended nine months. Frank Mir was elevated to the main event.
Junior dos Santos retained the HW Championship by TKO over Frank Mir at 3:04 of round two. Cain Velasquez returned from his loss to dos Santos with a dominant TKO of Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in one of the bloodiest HW fights in UFC history. Stipe Miocic and Glover Teixeira both made their UFC debuts with stoppage wins.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: May 26, 2012 (Memorial Day weekend)
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (FIRST ALL-HW MAIN CARD IN UFC HISTORY)
Main Event: Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Frank Mir — UFC HW Championship (original: JDS vs. Overeem; Overeem failed drug test)
Result: JDS def. Mir — TKO (Punches) — R2, 3:04; first JDS title defence; ninth consecutive win
Notable: Overeem suspended 9 months (drug test fail); Cain TKOs Bigfoot (bloodiest HW fight); Miocic UFC debut; Teixeira UFC debut; $70k bonuses
The Build-Up
The all-heavyweight main card was announced in March 2012, with five heavyweight bouts planned under the ‘The Heavyweights’ banner. Alistair Overeem had earned the title shot by defeating Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. On April 4, the NSAC revealed Overeem’s pre-fight drug test had returned a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, against the permitted 6-to-1. He was suspended nine months and pulled from the event. The card was reshuffled with Mir elevated to main event.
Main Event
Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Frank Mir — UFC HW Championship
Frank Mir attempted two takedowns in the first round; dos Santos stuffed both. Mir’s jab was his primary tool on the feet, but it lacked the power to keep dos Santos’ boxing at bay. In round two, dos Santos landed a combination that hurt Mir. Mir went to the canvas. Follow-up punches ended the fight at 3:04. Dos Santos had now won nine consecutive fights.
Co-Main Event
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva — Heavyweight
Velasquez had lost the HW title to dos Santos by first-round knockout at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011. UFC 146 was his return. He took Silva down in the opening minute and opened a deep cut above Silva’s eye with a short elbow. The blood flow was extreme. Silva’s face was covered by the end of the first round and the referee stopped the fight due to the severity of the cut. Velasquez was confirmed as the #1 HW contender. Referee Marc Goddard’s stoppage came at 4:52 of round one.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (FX / Facebook)
Glover Teixeira def. Kyle Kingsbury — KO — R1 — LHW; Teixeira UFC debut; 17-fight win streak entering UFC
C.B. Dollaway def. Jason Miller — TKO — R? — MW
Dan Hardy def. Duane Ludwig — KO — R1 — WW
Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza — KO — R1, 3:23 — LW; Barboza upset on prelims
Darren Elkins def. Diego Brandão — Decision — R3 — FW
Main Card — ALL HEAVYWEIGHT
Stipe Miocic def. Shane Del Rosario — TKO — R2 — HW; Miocic UFC debut; future 3x HW champion
Stefan Struve def. Lavar Johnson — Submission (Armbar) — R1 — HW
Roy Nelson def. Dave Herman — KO — R1, 0:51 — HW
Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Silva — TKO (Elbows/GnP) — R1, 4:52 — HW; Co-Main; Cain’s comeback; bloodiest HW fight in UFC history
UFC HW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Junior dos Santos def. Frank Mir — TKO (Punches) — R2, 3:04 — HW Championship; first JDS title defence; 9th consecutive win
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva — $70,000 to each fighter.
KO/Performance: Various — $70,000 per recipient.
Records & Milestones
First all-heavyweight main card in UFC history — five HW bouts; combined weight approximately 2,500 lbs; billed as ‘The Heavyweights.’
Stipe Miocic UFC debut — TKO win over Shane Del Rosario; Miocic went on to become UFC HW Champion three times.
Glover Teixeira UFC debut — KO win over Kyle Kingsbury; Teixeira entered the UFC on a 17-fight win streak; he later became UFC LHW Champion.
Alistair Overeem suspended 9 months — 14:1 T/E ratio; one of the most publicised drug test failures in UFC history up to that point.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 146 is a landmark for what happened before the event as much as during it. Overeem’s drug test failure removed the fight that would have defined the card. What remained was the first all-heavyweight main card, which delivered five HW stoppages in five main card bouts. The promotional concept — a dedicated heavyweight showcase — proved that the division could carry an event without a narrative star.
Cain Velasquez’ TKO of Bigfoot Silva was a performance statement. His loss to dos Santos had raised questions about his cardio and durability. Against Silva, he was relentless from the first exchange and ended the fight before those questions could be tested.
FAQ
Why was Alistair Overeem replaced at UFC 146?
Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, returning a testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 14:1 against the permitted 6:1. He was suspended for nine months and removed from the event.
Was UFC 146 the first all-heavyweight card in UFC history?
Yes. The UFC 146 main card featured five consecutive heavyweight bouts, making it the first time in UFC history that the main card was exclusively heavyweight fights.
Who made their UFC debut at UFC 146?
Stipe Miocic (defeated Shane Del Rosario by TKO in round two) and Glover Teixeira (defeated Kyle Kingsbury by KO in round one) both made their UFC debuts at UFC 146. Both became UFC champions in subsequent years.
How did Cain Velasquez come back at UFC 146?
Velasquez had lost the HW title to dos Santos via first-round KO at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011. At UFC 146 six months later, he returned with a dominant TKO over Antonio Silva, taking him down immediately and opening a severe cut. The win reinstated him as the #1 HW contender.
Was UFC 146 JDS's first title defence?
Yes. Junior dos Santos won the UFC HW Championship by KO over Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011. UFC 146 was his first attempted title defence, which he won by TKO over Frank Mir in round two.
References
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