The Future is Now: Velasquez KO's Big Nog

From the opening bell, it was obvious that Cain Velasquez was the faster of the two fighters inside the cage.

Before the halfway point of the first round, Velasquez showed that the improved punching power Javier Mendez discussed during Countdown to UFC 110 was real, as the AKA product put his veteran opponent on the mat with a monstrous right.

The question heading into this bout was whether the young upstart was ready to surpass the old master, and the answer came through loud and clear: OH HELL YES!

While the winner of the Interim title bout at UFC 111 is believed to be first in line to face Brock Lesnar when the champion returns this summer, Velasquez's quick finish over Nogueira could leapfrog the former Arizona State Sun Devil All-American to the front of the line.

If Velasquez remains waiting in line in favor of the Mir / Carwin winner, a bout with Nogueira's student Junior dos Santos would be fireworks, provided "Cigano" comes away from his UFC on Versus fight with Gabriel Gonzaga with a win of course.

Expect the "time for Nogueira to retire" talk to begin, though it has no legs. Getting beaten by a dynamic, young talent like Velasquez is nothing to hang your head about.

But the story of the night is Cain Velasquez.

Instead of waiting for the torch to be passed, Velasquez ripped it out of "Minotauro" Nogueira's hands.

As the title says, the future is now.

SBN coverage of UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez