Three fights into UFC 155's pay-per-view, it looked like the end-of-the-year blowout was destined to be a disappointing dud. Eight grueling, gory rounds later, that notion had been buried under the a gallon of blood that suddenly coated the Octagon floor.

After a year spent cursing the what ifs, Cain Velasquez returned with a vengeance. No longer hampered by injuries, Velasquez dominated Junior dos Santos en route to a lopsided decision victory to reclaim his UFC heavyweight title and set up a potential rivalry that could churn out classic battles for years to come.

That performance, in addition to an otherworldly ‘Fight of the Year' candidate from co-main eventers Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon, provided the UFC a fitting sendoff for a rollercoaster 2012 campaign. And all along the way, a slew of pro fighters were just as excited as everyone watching at home.

Aaaand, its all over...Great fight, great performance by Cain.Nice :)

— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) December 30, 2012

Hell yes. So proud of @cainmma much respect for JDS for being so tough.

— Jon Fitch (@jonfitchdotnet) December 30, 2012

Told you!!!! #Cain. By wrestling!!

— Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) December 30, 2012

Cain has all my respect!!!! Wow. The mexiCan champ is back. #UFC155

— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) December 30, 2012

Nice to see cain wrestling again. Looks great

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) December 30, 2012

You will remember where u were when #velasquez fought #DosSantos #UFC155 #amazing @ufc

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) December 30, 2012

I never thought this would get out of the first round! What is going on here?!

— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) December 30, 2012

One word for this two guys HEART OF A CHAMPION I'm Speechless @ufc @ufc_updates @danawhite

— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) December 30, 2012

YEAH !!!! looks like BROWN PRIDE did it . AWESOME JOB @cainmma you're the MAN :)great job @akajav

— Nam Phan (@NamPhanMMA) December 30, 2012

Awesome to watch Cain work, and jds shows how tough a champ really is! #wrestle #UFC155 #monsterenergy

— Dominick Cruz (@TheDomin8r) December 30, 2012

So Cain gets in JR's face with striking & then gets the takedown rhythm going. It was the key to the fight. Nice work.

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) December 30, 2012

Another impressive performance, both men for different reasons, going to bed motivated and impressed! Love this sport

— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) December 30, 2012

Honestly @junior_cigano my friend your humility is very very cool...

— Jorge Rivera (@Jorge_Conquista) December 30, 2012

JDS is taking the kind of beating that cuts YEARS off of your career

— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) December 30, 2012

Joe Rogan ur the man but for Christ sake Ur man crush on Cain is making this fight impossible to watch #UFC155

— Patrick Healy (@BamBamHealy) December 30, 2012

Someone should tell JDS that you can't block punches with your face for very long. #UFC155

— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) December 30, 2012

Best heavyweight title fight in the history of the UFC!Good old fashioned American wrestling gets it done.

— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 30, 2012

Congrats to @cainmma that was an impressive victory ! Congrats man ! Proud to be a sundevil tonight !

— CB Dollaway (@cbdollaway) December 30, 2012

Yes we Cain! @ufc I'm having enchiladas for dinner tonight! Yeah Cain!

— Ulysses Gomez (@uselessgomez) December 30, 2012

Best heavyweight fight ever!!!!#UFC155

— Court McGee (@Court_McGee) December 30, 2012

Congrats to @cainmma. That was an impressive 25 min. Relentless attack. #Unstoppable. Right @arobles125? @ufc

— Aaron Simpson (@aaronsimpson) December 30, 2012

Annnnnd the newwwwwwww!!!!!! @cainmma Congrats Champ! Great job fellas! @ufcespanolfelicidades!

— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) December 30, 2012

New Champ! Great fight!

— Krzysztof Soszynski (@KSOSufc) December 30, 2012

I smell the rubber match!JDS has a chin!!!

— Justin Salas (@justinsalasmma) December 30, 2012

JDS is a beast, took a beating and kept coming! Congrats to Cain! #UFC155

— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) December 30, 2012

Domination from Cain Velasquez! And again heavyweight UFC champ.... #ufc155

— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) December 30, 2012

What an ass-kicking by @cainmma!!Wow!!!He did exactly what he had to do

— Javier Vazquez (@javiershowtime) December 30, 2012

Is it Overeem v Cain next? That sounds pretty awesome to me!

— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) December 30, 2012

I GUARANTEE WHOEVER LOOOOOSES, SILLY PEOPLE ARE GONNA DEMAND THEY GO DOWN TO 205!!!

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) December 30, 2012

And the new Heavyweight Champion of the world!! @cainmma #TeamAKA #UFC155 @aka_hq @ufc

— Mike Quick Swick (@officialswick) December 30, 2012

That's a wrestling pace n mentality from Cain. U kids wanna learn that? WRESTLE. #taketheirheart

— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) December 30, 2012

You can't count JDS out, Cain is stupid for not taking the RNC when it was there, JDS could def still KO him he's still got that pop

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 30, 2012

Cain PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYEBALLS!!! The RNC is there for Dayzzz!

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 30, 2012

Don't pass on an opportunity to Finish a fight period, I've seen horrible decisions & comeback KO's so regardless Cain shoulda went 4 choke

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 30, 2012

Its sad to see that as a champion everybody loved him, & now cause he lost a fight every1 gives him sh***t. @junior_cigano deserves respect!

— Daniel Sarafian (@danielsarafian) December 30, 2012

Congratulations to Cain Velasquez. #UFC155 @cainmma

— Cheick Kongo (@kongo4real) December 30, 2012

Congratulations to AKA's very own @cainmma for winning his UFC title back tonight. So proud of you Champ!

— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) December 30, 2012

Cain showed JDS who is the baddest man on the planet but JDS showed great hart & im guessing they will meet again sometime! Good night all!

— John Maguire (@MaguireTheOne) December 30, 2012

Thorough. Ass. Whoopin. #UFC155

— Jason High (@KCBanditMMA) December 30, 2012

Shittttt

— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) December 30, 2012

@junior_cigano: Thank you all for your support but this time I lost but i promise that i tried mybest

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) December 30, 2012

Congrats to new champ twitter.com/gloverteixeira…

— glover teixeira (@gloverteixeira) December 30, 2012

LATE FIGHT OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: MILLER VS. LAUZON

Finally!!! What a fight. We have been starved for action all night! Lol

— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) December 30, 2012

GREAT elbows from Miller...that is all...#UFC155

— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) December 30, 2012

Hats off to both JimMiller & JoeLauzon, what a performance!!! Those boys deserve a DOUBLE @ufc #UFC155#FOTN bonus @danawhite...

— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) December 30, 2012

Lauzon is tough as hell!

— Dominick Cruz (@TheDomin8r) December 30, 2012

Great fight. Miller looked great.

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) December 30, 2012

Holy shit was that an elbow or a car that hit him?! Wow! Crazy

— Bart Palaszewski (@Bartimus7) December 30, 2012

I didn't know that leben got a 2nd fight tonight. Look at Jim miller's hair. #UFC155

— John Dodson III (@JohnDodsonMMA) December 30, 2012

As much blood as Jim Miller is drinking he should be checked to make sure he ain't a vampire. #UFC155

— John Dodson III (@JohnDodsonMMA) December 30, 2012

This fight is nasty! Miller vs Lauzon! #ufc155

— Sean Pierson (@seanpierson) December 30, 2012

Wow. Still don't know who won that fight.

— Jon Fitch (@jonfitchdotnet) December 30, 2012

Lauzon's modeling career is over

— Aaron Riley (@aaronrileymma) December 30, 2012

I wanna see another round!!! Fight of the century!!!

— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) December 30, 2012

This fight is a crazy bloody mess! #warriors #UFC155

— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) December 30, 2012

Fight of the Year??? #UFC155

— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) December 30, 2012

Sick fight! Lauzons heart and cardio is amazing.

— War Machine (@WarMachine170) December 30, 2012

That was awesome @joelauzon looks like a zombie coming at miller

— Ed Herman (@EdHermanufc) December 30, 2012

And here is our FOTN Lauzon vs miller #UFC155

— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) December 30, 2012

Now the crowd is into itonly takes someone almost bleeding to death #UFC155

— roland delorme (@rolanddelorme1) December 30, 2012

Bloody war lauzon and miller are bringing it this is what fightings all about #UFC155

— roland delorme (@rolanddelorme1) December 30, 2012

wow this fight has gone full on horror movie!

— John Hathaway (@ufcjohnhathaway) December 30, 2012

Such a great fight!!!!#bloodbath #ufc155

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 30, 2012

DAMN!!! Horror movie shit!! Miller beat Lauzon like he owed him money

— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) December 30, 2012

I call Lauzon and Miller fight of the year!!!! @ufc

— Pablo Garza UFC (@PabloGarzaMMA) December 30, 2012

Jim and Joe's fight is an action pack FOTN blood bath!

— Cung Le (@CungLe185) December 30, 2012

Fight of the year! Amazing!!!!!!!!!

— Cung Le (@CungLe185) December 30, 2012

I love both these men. Never met either one. Don't care. Blood blood blood! WAAAARRRRRRR!!! @ufc

— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) December 30, 2012

Love watching @jimmiller_155 & @joelauzon throw down every time!!! Thanks for the great fight!!!

— Jorge Rivera (@Jorge_Conquista) December 30, 2012

That's gotta be fight of the year. @ufc

— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) December 30, 2012

I would consider this a "holy shit" fight!

— Krzysztof Soszynski (@KSOSufc) December 30, 2012

Wow. Lauzon vs Miller was everything it was supposed to be…and more. Hats off to those guys. @ufc.

— Aaron Simpson (@aaronsimpson) December 30, 2012

You want an exciting card? Put Lauzon on it! Miller looked fantastic & on short notice! Wow! Beautiful grappling exchanges. #UFC155

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) December 30, 2012

lightweights have to take the show again! No loser in that fight! definition of toughness right there both guys.

— Justin Salas (@justinsalasmma) December 30, 2012

GREAT FIGHT #UFC155 J-Lau x Miller. Lauzon proved one more time how tough he is. @canalcombate

— Gesias JZ Cavalcante (@Gesias) December 30, 2012

Fight of the night right there from Lauzon/Miller, Jim looked sharp & @joelauzon looks like he just came out of a horror movie lol #UFC155

— John Maguire (@MaguireTheOne) December 30, 2012

AHHH!!! So close & such an awesome fight!! Great job by both guys! Millers starting pace insane, @joelauzon finished like boss! #UFC155 @ufc

— Mike Quick Swick (@officialswick) December 30, 2012

I have never seen THAT much blood in a fight, surprised they let it go almost but glad, great battle! Congrats to both miller & Lauzon #UFC

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 30, 2012

What an amazing fight!!!! Could be the Fight of the year!!! Great fight Jim miller and joe lauzon #ufc155

— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) December 30, 2012

40 stitches and a lot of lost blood... But I'm all good. Props to @jimmiller_155 on a great fight! #UFC155

— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) December 30, 2012

I got a boner. That was awesome. #UFC155

— Jason High (@KCBanditMMA) December 30, 2012