"Don't blink."
Several fighters make that pre-fight promise, but very few of them actually honor it. When Junior dos Santos said it yesterday, I believe him.
And so should you.
Dos Santos is featured in the UFC 131 main event this evening at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, taking on Shane Carwin in a titanic tilt of two massive men who hit like trucks and kick like mules.
"Cigano" has never lost in his six Octagon appearances, winning four of them via first round stoppage. Carwin, meanwhile, has one loss in five tries and has never made it to the second round in any of his wins.
Prior to joining the UFC, in fact, Carwin was undefeated (8-0), all with first round wins.
Dos Santos, who was originally booked to fight his coaching counterpart from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13, Brock Lesnar, has expressed concern that Carwin will attempt to take this fight to the floor.
It's entirely possible, especially if he gets tagged and hurt in an exchange. That strategy, however, would seem to be a last resort -- there is nothing in Carwin's past to indicate that he's interested in wrestling his way to a decision.
He calls himself a finisher and there is no reason to think otherwise.
Carwin, who is returning from back surgery, is about 30 pounds lighter than normal. But a diet, not the procedure, is the reason for his new look. This would appear to be the only wildcard in a fight that shouldn't last more than five minutes.
It's rather straightforward.
Both fighters are looking to make statements this evening and live up to the hype that a previously Brock Lesnar-promoted event demands. Fans were disappointed when he was forced to withdraw because of diverticulitis relapse and ticket sales suffered.
The good news is two better (and bigger) men could not have been selected to pick up that slack and send them home happy.
Eyes wide open, Maniacs.