RALEIGH, N.C. — The second half of 2019 won’t go down as the most favorable time in Junior Dos Santos’ mixed martial arts career.
In June, the former UFC heavyweight champion suffered a swift stoppage loss to Francis Ngannou. Then, as he was getting ready to return to the cage, Ngannou suffered from a nasty bacterial infection in his leg and had to withdraw from a planned UFC Moscow main event against Alexander Volkov.
But then, Dos Santos (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC) has a well-earned reputation for his sunny disposition, and you can’t keep a good man down long. So it should come as no surprise that Dos Santos has brushed aside the concerns as he gets set to headline UFC on ESPN+ 24 against Curtis Blaydes.
“Sometimes, you know, it’s not your day – things don’t happen the way you want,” Dos Santos told MMA Junkie after a Wednesday open workout session. “And what? Are you going to cry for that? C’mon. Keep moving forward – that’s what I’m doing. I believe in me. I can see the truth I see in my head. You guys would be amazed, and that’s what I’m trying to show you guys. That’s why I am here. I really believe I deserve the top of this division, and I will get it. I got there once, I’ll get there again.”
Dos Santos takes no credit away from Ngannou for his win, but he’s going right back to work to prove that his name still belongs in discussion of the most elite fighters at heavyweight.
“I was coming from two, three great victories and supposed to fight for the title again, and then I got someone who is coming from a good moment, too, with a lot of power. Francis Ngannou has a lot of power. He got the victory that night – he was better than me that night. But I am here to have that rematch and prove that I am better than him.”
Dos Santos knows a victory against Blaydes (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) won’t enable him to cut the line for a heavyweight title shot. But he does think that if he takes care of business Saturday, things could start falling back into place.
And he also thinks current champion Stipe Miocic and former champ Daniel Cormier should fight other opponents first before meeting in their heavyweight title trilogy fight, though he acknowledges this idea will fall on deaf ears.
“I think they both are phenomenal fighters, but I don’t think they should do this fight now,” Dos Santos said. “I think they should fight again (against other opponents), so then they could have this third fight – because it doesn’t really make sense. But it is on the UFC. Whatever they say they, we have to follow. But I don’t think it is right. I think they should do one more fight, then fight again if they keep the position they earned right now.”
UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.
To hear more from Dos Santos, watch the video above.
