With wins over 2006 Pride Fighting Championships open weight grand prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, 6-foot-11 submission specialist Stefan Struve and the respected Fabricio Werdum already behind him, Junior dos Santos will soon face another difficult challenge inside the UFC Octagon.
The Brazilian heavyweight contender will face Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Dos Santos discussed his expectations with Sherdog.com, as he prepares for a fight that could launch him into title contention.
Sherdog.com: Will your next opponent be Gabriel Gonzaga?
Dos Santos: Yes, and unlike last time, the UFC booked my next fight soon, which I liked. Last time, it took too long. There was nearly seven months between my fight with Stefan Struve and the one with Mirko.
Sherdog.com: Gonzaga has his base in jiu-jitsu and was a world champion, but he also has vastly improved his striking and is very confident standing. With the results you have been getting, do you think he will accept a stand-up fight with you or attempt to impose his ground game?
Dos Santos: Well, he’s a complete fighter and very tough. He even fought for the title. I believe that his main intention is to try and take the fight to the ground. But surely there will be some striking between us.
Sherdog.com: Since you came into the UFC, you have had no easy opponents, with three wins against top competition. Do you believe Gonzaga will be your biggest challenge so far?
Dos Santos: I had the opportunity to meet big names in MMA in the UFC and will do so once again. Gonzaga is a very tough fighter, and, besides being a great heavyweight, he’s developed his technique. I don’t know if it will be my biggest challenge, but it will certainly be one of them.
Sherdog.com: An aspect that has been criticized in Gonzaga’s game is his conditioning. Do you also believe that this may be one way for you to achieve victory?
Dos Santos: The fitness in MMA, in my opinion, is the main aspect you need to have good results. I’ll be ready to fight three rounds with him. If he happens to get tired, I hope to make the best use of it.
Sherdog.com: If you defeat Gonzaga, you will have posted four straight wins in the UFC, three of them against top fighters. Do you think it would be time for you to challenge for the title, provided Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is not the man holding it?
Dos Santos: As I said at other times, I’m in no hurry to challenge for the belt, but if the UFC thinks I should, for sure, I’ll be ready. I say this, of course, only if “Minotauro” is not the champion, but I believe that will happen soon.
Sherdog.com: Are you going to train for your fight in Bahia, Rio de Janeiro or the United States?
Dos Santos: I’m already training here in Bahia. We don’t know if I’ll stay here or if I’ll go to the United States. I’ll know that this coming week.
Sherdog.com: The public has not had many opportunities to see your jiu-jitsu or wrestling skills -- two arts that you may have to put into practice in this next fight. How do you evaluate these two areas of your game?
Dos Santos: This next fight, there are going to be a lot of chances to go to the ground. I train a lot of boxing and I like the striking, but it’s not any different with the jiu-jitsu, wrestling and muay Thai. I practice these arts very well. I know that Gonzaga is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and very good at what he does, but I’m training with the best ground fighter in MMA -- Minotauro. Believe me, I’ll be ready if the fight takes place on the ground.
Sherdog.com: You spent a long time in the U.S. preparing for the fight against “Cro Cop.” Do you feel like your wrestling improved during that time?
Dos Santos: I felt like it did. Americans are very good wrestlers, and I had the opportunity to train with fighters who have represented the United States in world championships and even the Olympics. Mark Munoz -- a great wrestler and a UFC fighter -- helped me most. Surely, there was good development in my wrestling skills.
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