Junior dos Santos has a massive opportunity ahead of him at UFC 211 in Dallas this month. Just over a week from now, the former UFC heavyweight champion will get a second chance at recapturing the title he lost to Cain Velasquez in 2012. It’s his first title fight since 2013 at UFC 166, where he lost the rubber match in his trilogy against Velasquez.
So how does he feel heading into his most recent title bout? “I’m feeling [this is] one of the best moments of my life. I’m feeling very well, like I said I’m feeling stronger, I’m feeling very healthy” dos Dantos said on Thursday’s UFC 211 media call. “This is my time. Things are working well. I put in good work in the gym. Now I’m ready for the fight.”
This time around, a different man holds the belt: Stipe Miocic. The Ohio native has been on a roll since he and dos Santos fought at UFC on Fox 13 in December 2014. Though he dropped a decision to the Brazilian that night, Miocic would win back-to-back bouts against Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski, finishing both and earning a crack a Fabricio Werdum’s title. He shocked the world by upsetting Werdum in the latter’s home country of Brazil, then followed that up by successfully defending the belt against Alistair Overeem in Cleveland in front of a roaring hometown crowd.
dos Santos, meanwhile, was finished by Alistair Overeem is his first fight post-Miocic, but bounced back with a win over Ben Rothwell. After a bout in Halifax with Stafan Struve earlier this year fell through due to a Struve injury, the UFC booked dos Santos against Miocic. Given his recent record of trading wins and losses, it seems like a huge gift for the former champ, and perhaps a last shot at title gold. “Cigano” doesn’t see it that way, however.
“Of course not, I’m just 33 years old, and I’m fighting against the top guys. Since the beginning, since I arrived here in the UFC in 2008, I was fighting with the guys who were supposed to fight for the title” he told the press when asked if this might be his last shot. “Since then, I’m on top of this division.”
“It’s one more step in my career” he added. “I have no doubts that I’m going to become champion.”
UFC 211 takes place Saturday, May 13 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
