Most people don’t like being wrong, and I’m one of them. But in this case, I have to say that I’m glad I was wrong.

Cain Velasquez is as good as advertised. I have chosen his opponent to win in his last two bouts: against Ben Rothwell at UFC 104 in October, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last night at UFC 110 in Australia. And I have come up short both times. The American Kickboxing Academy heavyweight didn’t simply get a big win last night; he destroyed a certifiable legend. His brutal KO of Nogueira showed that Cain is worthy of the hype. “When I threw that right hand, it just went through him,” explained Velasquez after the fight. “That’s all I felt. There was really no give. I just tried to follow it up with that left hook, and I saw him go down. I tried to capitalize on it. I tried not to get too anxious in there because I know he can take a lot of punishment and come back.” That right hand going through Nogueira earned Velasquez an extra $50,000 in the form of the "KO of the Night" bonus.

Cain made an impression on more than just Nogueira. At the post-event press conference, UFC President Dana White gave his opinion on Velasquez: “Cain Velasquez went out and absolutely finished him, and looked completely dominant. In my opinion, better than he’s ever looked. The kid gets better every time he fights.”

So what is next for the Salinas native? According to White, he’s ready for a title shot. “The heavyweight division is more exciting than it's been in years. It just keeps getting better and better,” White said. “Obviously it’s great that Brock Lesnar is back now so we’ll see what happens with Frank Mir and (Shane) Carwin. See who wins that and if the guys come out unscathed, they’ll fight for the title, if not then Cain Velasquez will get that slot.” When asked if he felt he was ready, Cain stated, “I think so. Whatever the UFC says, I'm going to be ready for it.”

It will be extremely interesting to see how the UFC heavyweight title picture shakes out. Health-permitting, either Carwin or Mir will face Brock Lesnar, most likely in July. Cain will probably fight the winner of that scrap later this year. No matter what, he will have his hands full with any of those three…but don’t look for me to pick his opponent to win again. So far, it just hasn’t worked out for me.