Junior dos Santos is not worried about being cut from the UFC despite Dana White’s plans to release several fighters from the roster.
Dana White recently unveiled plans to cut around 60 fighters from the UFC following Yoel Romero’s shock release last week, but Junior dos Santos isn’t concerned about that.
Despite being on a three-fight losing skid, dos Santos is confident he will return to form with a big win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 256 this weekend and avoid the UFC’s chopping block.
“I heard (White) say that, but, honestly, I’m focused on my next fight,” dos Santos told MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz ahead of UFC 256. “I thought Romero’s release was really weird and even unfair. What you mentioned about Romero possibly being expensive for the UFC, that’s definitely far from any reality. Nothing is expensive for the UFC. The UFC can’t say any athlete is expensive.
“Everyone has their own relationship with the UFC, their story, and athletes are the ones who make the show. There’s no way an athlete is expensive for the UFC. (The UFC) might want to benefit from signing cheaper athletes, but not that a fighter is expensive for the UFC because the show is always made by the athletes.”
“I thought this Romero situation was really weird, but I haven’t thought much about it,” he continued. “The way our contract is (structured), the UFC can release us or cancel our contracts at any moment, so that’s constant in our careers. Maybe they are planning massive cuts now, but that can happen at any moment. It’s part of our run in the UFC.
“My intention is to always go for the victory and stay in the promotion because my biggest goal is to go for the belt. Things haven’t gone my way, unfortunately, but, when we’re talking about heavyweights, everyone will always respect when they say my name.”
Dos Santos has suffered consecutive knockout losses to Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Curtis Blaydes, and Francis Ngannou in his last three but, prior to that, the Brazilian was on a three-fight win streak and knocking on the door of title contention. Despite his recent skid the UFC veteran is still ranked in the top ten and a win over Gane will likely see JDS crack the top five.
UFC 256, which will feature dos Santos vs. Gane on the main card, takes place later tonight, Dec. 12 at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.