Mar-14-2010

Wherever the Fight goes, Junior Dos Santos is ready for it

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By Martins Denis

Despite being in a whirlwind since his UFC debut, Brazilian knockout artist Junior “Cigano” dos Santos still has an amazing recall of all the dates and important happenings in his life that he can pull out at a moment’s notice.

Whether it's the period when he left his hometown of Caçador, Santa Catarina to go on the road to Bahia at the end of 2002 to wash dishes, the age when he had his first contact with a martial art, Capoeira, as a teenager, or when he started in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in April 2004 at Yuri Carlton's dojo, Dos Santos remembers it all, and he smiles when told that the precision of his memory is at the same level of the fists polished by excellent professor Luiz Dorea.

And despite the speed of his fists and wit, the 26-year old heavyweight – who will face fellow countryman Gabriel 'Napao' Gonzaga in the co-main event of UFC On Versus on Sunday, March 21st – believes he’s still in the beginning stages of his career.

"I'm still fresh," he laughs. "I'm still a baby in boxing, with only four years of practice. The only thing I don't remember are the uncountable times I boxed in Bahia, but it's only because I didn't count during that time. I know in near future I'll forget all I said in this interview, so record it (laughs)."

Well, it's saved, and even though time may eventually erase numbers and dates, the result of the main event of UFC 110 will remain forever in dos Santos’ mind. That was the night undefeated Cain Velasquez dispatched Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira in the first round with a highlight-reel combination. Dos Santos, of course, didn't expect it and sadly got the same surprise regarding Velasquez's plan of standing as Nogueira did.

However, as we like to say, when a situation happens, it has two sides. When the legendary and beloved Nogueira lost to a rising star in Velasquez, all the buzz about Nogueira vs. dos Santos and if they'd refuse to fight and what would happen if they did stopped at the moment the former Pride and UFC champion hit the floor. Dos Santos, Nogueira's protégé, takes this moment to go in-depth about what his relationship with the admirable Minotauro really is.

"I don't get tired of saying that the Nogueira Brothers (Minotauro and Antonio Rogerio 'Minotouro') are guys that I owe a lot. People questioned me about a fight against Rodrigo and I tried to explain that this isn't just the case of him being a training partner; he molded me," an emotional dos Santos says. "He's my master and he taught me everything. If I face and beat great athletes nowadays, this is because Rodrigo supported me. I hope people understand that the situation is completely different than just two teammates that live in Brazil and don't intend to face each other. I'd probably not have become a fighter or my career would be on a different course than it is today if I didn't have Rodrigo and Rogerio helping me."

If Big Nog developed dos Santos to fight and knock elite fighters out, this was a job well done. The feats that this 248-pound machine has achieved already speak for themselves. After smashing the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert 'The Hurricane' Yvel, dos Santos solidified his name among the best, and we all know that overwhelming big names is the fastest way to the top, while consequently generating motivation for the fighter. Not for dos Santos though, who discovered a new way of getting motivated - when the stars don't have respect for him.

"When Werdum stated that he'd fight me and Brock Lesnar in same night, he was underestimating me. He didn't greet me when we were in same hotel and when I tried to shake his hand at weigh-ins he avoided me. Afterwards I thought I should never try to shake his hand (laughs). Inside the Octagon, seconds before the fight, he tried to pressure me because I was debuting, and in that moment I realized (laughs) that when I'm challenged this way I fight better. When Bruce Buffer said my name and I do my pre-fight ritual of pointing to the ground, Werdum came in my direction, punching his hand, and said, 'You gonna take a beatdown.' Nobody saw it. He did that and I said, 'So come on,' and walked back to my corner furious, but with a smile on my face. And I felt that when the approach is this way I fight better."

This incentive that Werdum provoked added a new ingredient to dos Santos’ already dangerous game. It was just one more piece for the rookie UFC fighter, who thought, 'don't underestimate me, or I'll catch you.'

So let's catch dos Santos in there - how do you act in a fight against a foe that treats you nicely and with respect? Immediately he provided the answer from UFC 95 in London, when he faced Stefan Struve. The 6-11' submission specialist had nothing than respect for dos Santos.

"During the week I treated him normally; we chatted and had a lunch in the same place, and when he saw me he took pictures,” said dos Santos. “But in the fight, I said 'Now I won't be nice.' He extended his hand, I didn't tap it. (laughs) Later we'll chat, now is time to trade punches. He's a nice guy, dangerous on the ground, however I wasn't not going to be his friend inside the Octagon (laughs). Let's fight and become friends only after the fight."

2-0 with two knockouts, and dos Santos didn't pass the first round as he overcame both Werdum and Struve in 1:20 and :54, respectively. Apparently he was in the position of becoming one of THE men of the heavyweight division. Only apparently, because his following fight was against the man who conquered the PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix in 2006, Mirko Cro Cop. But Dos Santos prevailed, pulling an upset.

"Against Cro Cop, they said, 'If dos Santos stays on the feet, he'll be knocked out.' So let's test if I'll really go unconscious (laughs). I believe a lot in my stand up and in my boxing and once (teammate Fabio) Maldonado told me, 'Cigano, when you look into the eyes of your opponent, he'll not reach you. You're fast, strong, let him know that you're better.' I believed in what he said and I go to knock guys out in all my fights; maybe I can't always do it, but it's my goal."

Cro Cop’s submission at 2:00 into round three of that UFC 103 bout put dos Santos on the map if he wasn't there before, right?

Not yet.

Dutch fighter Yvel and his aggressive Muay Thai at UFC 108 could have been too much for dos Santos, who still hadn’t dealt with many leg and high kicks. But it didn't happen, and that was because he didn't let Yvel do it, as he punished his opponent with a dose of 'don't underestimate me, or I'll catch you,' en route to a technical knockout win at 2:07 of round one.

"He's arrogant," said dos Santos. "I heard the same things that I did before the Mirko fight – ‘Cigano needs to take Yvel down, Cigano needs to take Yvel down.' Of course I had this plan if I didn't do well on the feet, but I pushed the pace, stayed comfortable and it resulted in the TKO.

"People called me arrogant during that fight because I smiled when he landed that high kick. But that was because we trained to defend exactly that combo, a straight and a high kick. I recorded it and he tried it during the fight, so I smiled because his game was just the way we knew it would be, and I asked for more."

So now he faces Gonzaga in Colorado on Sunday, and dos Santos still has to prove something to the world. On the feet he's crisp, but how will it be on the mat? Nobody expects that Gonzaga will commit the same mistakes that Werdum - a BJJ black belt like the former UFC heavyweight challenger – did, and Napao’s legs and hands are no joke either.

"I think my ground is good if you want to know," said dos Santos. "I train with great guys in the USA too and I'm always learning. This fight is going to be a test for me; I have a chance to surprise people because I believe Napao will try to take me down. There are positions that I developed in secret and if I've the chance I won't waste them."

Very happy with his stint in the UFC and ready for all tests, dos Santos exudes the confidence and the type of game that any fan of the sport likes to see. And while he respects Gonzaga as a BJJ black belt, he won't fight with a fear of going to the ground in what he considers his most important fight ever - the next one.