UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III. October 19, 2013. Toyota Center, Houston, Texas. The first UFC event in Houston. Cain Velasquez retained the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a fifth-round TKO over Junior dos Santos at 3:09, winning the trilogy 2-1. Their 23-month series saw dos Santos win the first by KO in 64 seconds; Velasquez win the second by unanimous decision; and Velasquez win the third by a late stoppage.
Daniel Cormier made his UFC debut with a unanimous decision over Roy Nelson. Gilbert Melendez made his UFC debut with a unanimous decision over
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: October 19, 2013
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, USA (FIRST UFC IN HOUSTON)
Main Event: Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Junior dos Santos — UFC HW Championship (TRILOGY; first: JDS KO 64 sec; second: Cain UD 50-43)
Result: Velasquez def. JDS — TKO (Slam + Punches) — R5, 3:09; Cain wins trilogy 2-1; JDS dropped twice in R3; doctor checked R4
Notable: Daniel Cormier UFC debut (UD Roy Nelson); Gilbert Melendez UFC debut (FOTN with Diego Sanchez); Ferguson-Khabib planned (Khabib visa fail); $65k bonuses
The Build-Up
The first fight lasted 64 seconds. The second lasted 25 minutes. The third was expected to be between those extremes. Velasquez had dominated the second fight by taking JDS down and pressing him against the cage. JDS’ primary adaptation was to land strikes from the clinch and avoid takedowns. Dana White called UFC 166 the biggest event in UFC history.
Main Event
Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Junior dos Santos — UFC HW Championship
Velasquez controlled throughout with the wall-and-maul strategy from their second fight. JDS had better moments than in the rematch but could not sustain offensive exchanges. In round three, Velasquez dropped JDS twice and referee Herb Dean watched closely; JDS survived. The doctor examined a cut on JDS’s eye between rounds four and five. In round five, Velasquez secured a slam that took JDS to the canvas. Ground-and-pound followed until the stoppage at 3:09. Cain 2, JDS 1.
Co-Main Event
Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson — Heavyweight (Daniel Cormier UFC debut)
Cormier won all three rounds by unanimous decision (30-27 x3), controlling Nelson with takedowns and ground-and-pound. It was Cormier’s first UFC fight after transitioning from Strikeforce, where he had been undefeated. Cormier later became UFC HW Champion in 2018 and UFC LHW Champion in 2015.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
John Dodson def. Darrell Montague — KO — R1, 4:13 — FW; KO Night ($65k)
Tony Ferguson def. Mike Rio — Decision — R3 — LW; original opponent Khabib withdrew (visa issues); first Ferguson-Khabib cancellation
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Shawn Jordan — TKO — R1, 1:33 — HW
Main Card
Gilbert Melendez def. Diego Sanchez — UD (30-27 x3) — LW; Melendez UFC debut from Strikeforce; Fight of the Night ($65k each)
Daniel Cormier def. Roy Nelson — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27 x3) — HW; Cormier UFC debut; Co-Main
UFC HW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Cain Velasquez def. Junior dos Santos — TKO (Slam + Punches) — R5, 3:09 — HW Championship; Cain wins trilogy 2-1; JDS dropped twice R3; doctor checked R4
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez — $65,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night: John Dodson — $65,000.
Records & Milestones
Cain Velasquez wins HW trilogy 2-1 — 10 rounds won to JDS’s 1 over the course of 23 months; the most complete HW trilogy in UFC history.
Daniel Cormier UFC debut — Cormier had been undefeated in MMA and a Strikeforce HW champion; his UFC debut preceded a run to the LHW and HW titles.
Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov — first cancellation; the fight was rebooked multiple times across the following six years and never took place.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 166 resolved the most anticipated HW trilogy of the modern era. JDS knocked Cain out in 64 seconds in the first. Cain dominated for 25 minutes in the second. The third was somewhere between those extremes. The outcome — Cain finishing in round five with ground-and-pound after a slam — gave the series a clear conclusion. Cain 2, JDS 1.
The Ferguson-Khabib cancellation due to visa issues was the first recorded instance of what became the sport’s most discussed running story. The two were booked, cancelled, and rebooked multiple times through 2019.'),
FAQ
Who won the Velasquez-dos Santos trilogy?
Cain Velasquez won two of the three fights. Junior dos Santos won the first by KO in 64 seconds at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011. Velasquez dominated the rematch (50-43 UD) at UFC 155. Velasquez finished the third by TKO in round five at UFC 166.
Was UFC 166 the first UFC in Houston?
Yes. UFC 166 at the Toyota Center on October 19, 2013, was the first numbered UFC event held in Houston, Texas.
Who made their UFC debut at UFC 166?
Daniel Cormier (defeated Roy Nelson UD) and Gilbert Melendez (defeated Diego Sanchez UD) both made their UFC debuts. Cormier became UFC LHW Champion in 2015 and UFC HW Champion in 2018. Melendez had been the Strikeforce LW Champion.
Why didn't Tony Ferguson fight Khabib at UFC 166?
Khabib Nurmagomedov withdrew from the booked fight with Tony Ferguson due to visa complications. Mike Rio replaced him. This was the first of multiple times the Ferguson-Khabib fight was scheduled and fell through.
How did Cain finish JDS in round five at UFC 166?
Velasquez secured a slam that took dos Santos to the canvas. He followed with ground punches until referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 3:09 of round five.
References
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