Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos, a student of legendary Antonio Rodrigo Noguera and a big Brazilian hope for winning UFC Heavy Weight Championship Title is advancing forward without any losses, knocking out opponents while crushing their dreams. On UFC 117, Brazilian MMA super-star will face off against the winner of Ultimate Fighter Season 10 and "biggest-belly" of UFC, Roy "Big Country" Neslon, for official number one contender sport and winner of Lesnar - Velasquez fight.
In his exclusive interview for ValeTudo.ru, Junior talks about his upcoming fight, his road to the top spot and ambitions to become a champion.
ValeTudo.ru: How is your preparation for the upcoming fight with Roy Nelson is going?
Junior Dos Santos (JDS): It’s going well. I started training a little of Wrestling back on United States, with Phil Davis and the guys on Alliance, from Brandon Vera and now I’m here in Salvador, Brazil, and the training is great with (Rodrigo) Minotauro, (Rogério) Minotouro and all the guys there are helping me a lot, the local guys, the ones who I’ve always training with, and they’re helping on my trainings. My trainings are great and I’m feeling fine and I believe I’ll be prepared for this fight.
ValeTudo.ru: Have you changed anything taking into the consideration his “unique” physique and BJJ abilities?
JDS: Not really. I’ve been studying Roy Nelson and he’s a very dangerous guy, he likes to trade punches, and tries hard not to get stucked on the ground game. But he’s a dangerous guy, is coming from great wins, so we have to be careful, because he might not have the ideal physical, but he’s indeed a dangerous opponent. We kept our usual training plan and I always try to see my fore coming fight as the most important one. To reach the top, you have to win your fights and take that seriously, so that’s why I’m training hard, so I can surprise him.
ValeTudo.ru: Many people expressed their disappointment, saying that Nelson is below your level of talent. Are you interested in this fight, does it motivate you?
JDS: The guys from UFC talked to me because I want to fight for the belt, and I know that there are guys ahead of me on that line, such as Cain Velasquez, who wants to fight for the belt too, so I have to wait a little longer. Roy Nelson asked for this fight, as least that’s what I’ve heard, and I believe it was a choice UFC did, choosing the both of us for this bout. It’s like I said: you have to train seriously to get a great result and keep this journey to the belt.
ValeTudo.ru: How big is the role of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in your development as a fighter? Do you think that it was God’s will for you two to meet, and then for you to become a professional fighter?
JDS: He’s everything in my career, he was one of the few who believed in me, the one who toughed me everything I know and helped me to launch my career. Without him, I wouldn’t have the conditions to be where I am today and have the results I have, so I owe it all to him. He’s always been by my side, helped me, tought me, was there on my side on the trainings teaching me how to confront a top fighter of MMA and I’m gifted of having someone like Rodrigo by my side. Besides being humble, he really commits to help you and now that he’s here in Bahia, he helps me here. I’m very grateful to him, he’s like a brother to me, even more than a brother because he helps me and showed me the road to follow, so I owe a lot to him.
ValeTudo.ru: If Nogueira’s role is big, why all your wins were by KO due to the good boxing and not ground game, for what Nogueira is famous for?
JDS: When i first started training, I started with Jiu-Jitsu trainings too. After one a half year training Jiu-Jitsu, I did my first MMA fight and I met (Luiz Carlos) Dórea, who started teaching me Boxing. I started training Boxing everyday and I liked it, so I trained six times a week Boxing and had three times a week Jiu-Jitsu trainings. It became a passion to me and I focused more on Boxing because I felt more comfortable on the trade of punches than on Jiu-Jitsu. Despite loving Jiu-Jitsu, nowadays I feel more comfortable fighting Boxing, trading punches and that brought me great results. Like they say it here, I have a good catch, a heavy hand, so I have plenty conditions to knockdown and I believe on that, so I always go for the knockout, no matter who my opponent is. To apply good blows and hitting my opponent is the way to bring them down.
ValeTudo.ru: Is that a surprise to you that nobody in UFC yet tried to take you to the ground and keep the fight there? DO you think that some of your opponents underestimated your striking?
JDS: Some of them, yes. The others didn’t have the opportunity to bring me to the ground, but maybe it was their intention, but they didn’t have the time to do so. I also train a lot of Wrestling and it became one of the arts I identify myself the most, I like training Wrestling and I do it a lot exactly so that my opponents don’t bring me to the ground and, if they manage to bring me to ground, who will do the takedown will be me. I believe that my commitment to the trainings and because I believe on my standing game, I manage to keep myself in positions on which they can’t take me down or keep me there. Napão brought me to the ground, but I believe that I moved on the right direction and got ride of him and came back for the standing game. I feel comfortable on that area, but in case the fight takes place on the ground, I’ll also be prepared, because, like you said, Minotauro is my training partner and there’s no better school of ground game than that.
ValeTudo.ru: Since you joined UFC in October of 2008, did you become a better fighter?
JDS: A lot better. Nowadays I have one big difference, which is a larger experience. And I can tell you I’m feeling a lot more confident on my fights and developing my game. When you get confident, you can develop what you know better. I feel it that way and I believe it’s a growing moment in my career, and if it’s God’s wish, I’ll keep growing just the same as I’m doing now: with great knockouts, great fights and great wins.
ValeTudo.ru: In his last fight, your mentor and great fighter "Minotauro" was knocked out by Cain Velasquez. Do you a desire to revenge that defeat for your teacher?
JDS: It’s not about revenge. Revenge is not a part of my wishes, that so that it’s not what Rodrigo toughed me and I believe he can do this “revenge” himself. He can fight and make his own result… A bout is a bout, you can never know the result of it. What happened was that the guy caught him and that gave Velasquez the good result, but I believe he can come back, o great fights and, in the future, have his rematch against Cain Velasquez. But I fight against Cain would be a good thing for me, because the guy is in a great moment on UFC, and with a with that win over Rodrigo, he’s is a good phase, so it’s a fight I’m really interested in, but for that reason, for his good moment. It’d be a great fight to watch and the winner would assure himself on the top of the division.
ValeTudo.ru: Do you think that Antonio’s best days are in the past, or will he able to bounce back to the top again?
JDS: As I said, i believe he has plenty conditions, he’s a tough guy, he was Born to be a fighter and I’m sure that, with the right training and with a lot of focus, he can be again an aspiring to the belt or even becoming a champion.
ValeTudo.ru: What do you think about some people saying that American fighters get protected and other advantages from UFC, especially in the HW division? Is there any truth to that?
JDS: I don’t know. I believe that the Americans who are on this division has their own credits, are indeed good fighters, so I don’t see much protection on that matter. It can be true, but I don’t see it that way and I always try to be prepared so that I can make a good show for the audience, against whoever it is… Be it an American or even a Brazilian, I don’t care about my opponent. An opponent is an opponent and you have to be ready to do great fights and conquest good results.
ValeTudo.ru: In your current contract with UFC, how many fights do you have left and does everything satisfy you?
JDS: I have two more fights on my contract with UFC, I think. Things are still being set and it’s my first contract after that fight I had with (Fabrício) Werdum and things are still crawling. Soon I’ll have a better contract, that’s what I hope and I’ll be ready to do my best for people watch great fights and so I can satisfy MMA greatest fans, because that’s my life today and that’s what I love to do.
ValeTudo.ru: Speaking of the UFC rules, do you find them more advantageous for the strikers or grapplers? Would you rather fight by PRIDE or Vale Tudo rules instead?
JDS: I don’t believe the rules privilege neither the grapplers nor the strikers. What I believe in is that the rules were created and it’s up to the athlete to adapt to the rules of the event on which he’s fighting. I always try to study the rules and use them in my favor. Be it the rules of Prie or UFC, I believe it’s up to the fighter to adjust himself to it.
ValeTudo.ru: Junior, you have practiced heavy athletics for a while, was it difficult to transition from it to MMA? You also have a lot of muscles for the fighter, does it help or hinder you?
JDS: I always try to keep a good physical condition. I believe that the hard trainings keep me that way, with a good physical, a hard training, always, and I do that so I can feel good with myself and I like being how I am. It’s how I feel better, I feel fast. A lot of people sugest that I get heavier and reach the weight limito f the division, but I believe that’s my ideal weight because I can be fast and strong at the same time, so I feel great being just as I am.
ValeTudo.ru: If you could choose, who would you like to face between Carwin and Lesnar?
JDS: I don’t choose opponents. At this point, I want to fight the champion, the best one there’s out there. And, in my opinion, the best is whoever is the champion, independently if it’s Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin of Cain Velasquez… I want to have my chance to fight for the belt now and I’m hope that UFC make it be soon. I want to have this opportunity to show I have plenty conditions to be the champion, just like my grand idol, Minotauro, once was.
ValeTudo.ru: Between those two, you and Velasquez, who is the best fighter?
JDS: If I had to compare myself to the guy, I’d choose me (laughs). I believe I didn’t have the chance to show my skills on the ground, but I have the conditions to surprise anyone in any area. But I’d choose Junior “Cigano” dos Santos (laughs).
ValeTudo.ru: Thank you very much for your time, you have a lot of fans in Russia, please say a few words to them.
JDS: I have several fans in Russia and I would like to ask them to stay tuned on my fights because I’m getting prepared for them and I’ll bring more great results, beautiful knockouts for them to watch. I hope that soon I can go to Russia, since it’s a country I haven’t been yet and I’m curious to know it and to know that country, which is a place of great winners and great names of the sport and the homeland of one of my greatest idols, Fedor.
So I intend to go there soon and I’d like to send a big “hello” to my fans in Russia, as well as a big hug and to ask for them to keep watching my fights.
By Guilherme Cruz
Photos UFC
