Junior Dos Santos does not make the decisions in the UFC, but if he did, Alistair Overeem’s name would be crossed out on the list of potential contenders.
Following his knockout victory over Frank Mir at UFC 146, the UFC heavyweight champion was a guest on Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored,” where he talked about Overeem, Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier.
“I don’t care about who’s gonna be my opponent. I never choose my opponents, and it depends on just the UFC. But I don’t think Overeem deserves to be fighting for the title at this point because he got the drug test fail, so I think Cain Velasquez deserves his rematch against me, I think better than Overeem.”
While UFC President Dana White hinted at a rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez at the post-fight press conference for UFC 146, he still thinks Overeem deserves an opportunity to come back and pick up where he left off.
“He went before the athletic commission, and he got his punishment, and he’s gonna serve his sentence now. When he comes back, he has to apply for a license again, and then we’ll go from there,” said White. “Yeah, I mean I think he should [regain his standing], yeah.”
With Overeem sidelined until December 2012 or early 2013, Velasquez could be the clear cut option as the next contender for Dos Santos’ title.
His curb-stomping of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 146 certainly turned a lot of heads, including former adversary Dos Santos.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is another name that crept into the UFC title picture.
The former Olympian stepped out from teammate Velasquez’s shadow in May, when he defeated Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Which heavyweight out of American Kickboxing Academy is more dangerous? Dos Santos weighs in:
“I don’t know Cormier very much. I think Cain Velasquez is better than him. Cormier for sure is good. He’s the Strikeforce champion now, but I think Cain Velasquez is more dangerous. In this division, I think Cain Velasquez is the No. 2 because I am the No. 1.”
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