They weren't nearly as flashy or dynamic as the guys they beat, but Stipe Miocic and Darren Elkins were proof-positive at UFC 146: "Dos Santos vs. Mir" Saturday night (May 26, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, that conditioning is one hell of an equalizer. Both absorbed considerable early damage before turning the tide in the kind of showing that reinforces the importance of being strong at the end of the fight, not just the beginning.

For Miocic, it was a case of absorbing the thudding kicks and slick angles offered by Shane del Rosario. In a meeting of unbeaten heavyweights, Miocic simply didn't have the foot speed to corral the slippery del Rosario, whose punishing kicks, especially to the midsection, were very sharp.

But Miocic, a former college wrestler with two UFC wins under his belt, including a gritty debut decision over Joey Beltran, simply hung though, eventually switching gears and taking the tiring del Rosario down in the second. And then he went to work, pounding his man, who'd gone from being a vexing standup proposition to hopelessly marooned on the ground. After about a zillion and one hammer fists and assorted ne'er-do-wells from the relentless Miocic, del Rosario was finished.

Score one for conditioning.

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"I don't really think about the future. I already had like 22 wins when I entered the UFC. Fighting has been normal for me since I was 16-years-old. I plan to keep on doing it for a long time. And what I said at the pre-fight press conference, I'd like to retire with 50 or 60 UFC wins, that would be good."

I know they say to go high or go home but isn't there a happy medium? Not for Stefan Struve, who picked up his eighth victory inside the Octagon last night (Sat., May 26, 2012) by submitting Lavar Johnson at UFC 146: "Dos Santos vs. Mir" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In just three years with the company, "The Skyscraper" has amassed more wins in the heavyweight division than legends like Randy Couture. Other than being a completely useless but fascinating statistic, it reveals he's got just 42 more victories to go before he can retire. Considering the fact that he's only 24-years-old, who knows, maybe the Dutchman can make it happen for himself. Right?

The stakes were potentially very high last night (May 26, 2012) for both heavyweights Roy Nelson and Dave Herman on their UFC 146 main card bout in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both men had been in the doghouse with Dana White, either for their dry sense of humor or with how the UFC president felt they were taking their careers seriously.

Herman entered the bout having been called "The white Jon Jones" by Nelson, based purely on his athleticism and potential.

So what does it mean now that "Big Country" has knocked him silly? And what's next for both intriguing heavyweight brawlers?

Follow me after the jump for our Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman UFC 146 post-fight review and analysis.

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Sometimes the events which dictate the course of MMA history take place far away from the cage, without the need for referees and cornermen or the presence of a baying crowd. The deals that are done behind closed doors and the partnerships which are formed behind the scenes are as important to the sport's development as anything that happens after the bell sounds.

If you look back at the seminal moments then the history of MMA events such as the UFC's acquisition of Pride, the seven year deal the organization signed with Fox or the success of a reality TV show called 'The Ultimate Fighter' are the true turning points.

This weekend an event will take place which will not involve the UFC but could dictate the entire future of MMA in the East. The 'ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012' will bring together around 150 of the key players in Asian MMA ranging from promoters to sponsors to gym owners to fighters to broadcasters.

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If history tells us anything about Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Heavyweight division, it's that the champions generally don't hold on to their belts for very long.

Junior dos Santos was intent on not following in those notorious footsteps, and he was able to avoid the pitfall by beating up Frank Mir for a little over a round en route to finishing him by way of technical knockout.

In one fell swoop, the Brazilian was able to restore the honor of his mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, as well as cement the fact that he's planning on being the champion for some time to come.

His stand up looked as crisp as ever. His takedown defense proved good enough to keep the fight where he wanted it to be. He keeps getting better, and that's not good for the rest of the division.

So what does the future hold for the rapidly rising star we've come to call "Cigano?" We'll talk that and more after the jump:

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Jamie Varner had fallen a long way since the days of his World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) reign, where he seemed an emerging young face in a rising promotion. After winning the title in an epic brawl against Rob McCullough, then making two exciting defenses, Varner looked exactly like the kind of potent talent that would rise to ascendance as the promotion did, or at least be along for the ride as a roster mainstay.

Instead, he lost his title belt after inactivity through injuries, then suffered the ignominious fate of a nightmarish 2010, losing to Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone in addition to a draw that would've been yet another loss for Varner, if not for Kamal Shalorus losing points on a foul. Varner closed out the year with a meek performance in losing via first-round submission to upstart Shane Roller.

It's hard to think of an equivalent decline for such a promising young fighter, especially for a guy who, at 21-years-old, gave Hermes Franca a hellacious battle before losing in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut.

At UFC 146: "Dos Santos vs. Mir" on Saturday night (May 26, 2012), Varner faced unbeaten Edson Barboza, a numbing striker whose physical gifts and thudding kicks made him a fascinating lightweight possibility. Barboza had achieved two eminently rare feats in his four-fight UFC career: forcing surrender via leg kicks (Mike Lullo) and finishing a fight with a Chuck Norris-like spinning back kick to the head (Terry Etim). He seemed almost too good to be true, especially give his huge frame and obvious athleticism.

Varner, a substitute for injured Evan Dunham, had no illusions. He was being brought in under difficult circumstances, perceived as a faded veteran willing to take a chance. And that's all he needed.

In a rousing performance, Varner survived some whopping leg kicks as Barboza started strong, only to land some nice punches of his own. Veterans have plenty of tricks, and in facing a streaking, unbeaten young guy, one of the best ones is to land an inventive combo or two and let them know who's boss. Varner continued to dial in, mixing in a nice body shot-head blow combo, prior to unloading on the stunned Barboza against the cage, delivering a dozen hammerfists to get the stoppage.

"I'm back," said Varner as the camera zoomed in on him, post-victory.

And in a big way.

Jason Probst can be reached at jasonprobst@gmail.com or twitter.com/jasonprobst.

Two undefeated heavyweight prospects stepped into the cage last night (May 26, 2012) as Stipe Miocic took on Strikeforce veteran Shane del Rosario on the UFC 146 main card in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Someone's "0" had to go.

Del Rosario entered the bout having been a highly successful kickboxer and one of Strikeforce's "can't miss" up-and-coming fighters, while Miocic was already building a case as one of the better young heavyweights in the UFC.

Miocic had some trouble early, but what adjustment did he make to completely take over and finish this fight? And what happens next for both men?

Follow me after the jump four our Stipe Miocic vs. Shane del Rosario post-fight review and analysis.

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In the latest edition of "booking-made-easy," it looks like Junior dos Santos will defend his title against Cain Velasquez in his next fight.

Shocking, I know.

UFC President Dana White revealed as much in his interview with FUEL TV last night (Sat., May 26, 2012) following UFC 146: "Dos Santos vs. Mir" in Las Vegas, Nevada:

"That's what's next. Not only did (Velasquez) look good (against Antonio Silva), he looked lean. Well, he was undefeated. He was an undefeated champion, he wins a fight, and he gets another shot at Junior."

Last night's event may have been all about the heavyweights, with all five main card bouts coming from within the division, but the emphasis was clearly on the main and co-main event of the evening.

Dos Santos and Velasquez were always on a collision course with "Bigfoot" and Frank Mir simply acting as obstacles. Ultimately, they weren't much more than speed bumps who got ran over by the two best 265-pound fighters in the world.

So while Alistair Overeem serves out his suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and Daniel Cormier remains tied down in Strikeforce, Dos Santos and Velasquez can meet in the cage one more time, hopefully with both coming in healthy instead of dealing with knee injuries.

Sound good to you, Maniacs?

After the jump, hear Dana White talk about the match-up, whether or not it could be held in a stadium, and other assorted topics from UFC 146.

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