JDS talks about his upcoming opponent, Ben Rothwell, and believes the heavyweight veteran shares similarities to Conor McGregor.
Add “Big Ben” Rothwell to the list of fighters compared to Irish sensation Conor McGregor. “The Notorious” has been likened to Nick Diaz, Chael Sonnen, Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Prince Naseem Hamed on his path to stardom in the UFC.
Former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, who will square off with Rothwell in the main event of UFC Fight Night 86, made the comparison to MMA Fighting on Friday.
“I see some of Rothwell’s characteristics like Conor McGregor,” dos Santos said. “They are a bit different, Conor talks more, but it’s the confidence. They truly believe the things they are saying. It might sound ridiculous sometimes, but they really believe they are capable of doing what they are saying. That’s a strong point for Ben Rothwell.”
After having mixed success in the UFC, Rothwell turned things up a gear when he returned to the Octagon in 2014. The 6 ft 5 inch heavyweight was suspened for 9 months by the Nevada Athletic Commission following a failed drug test for elevated levels of testosterone after his TKO win over Brandon Vera. Rothwell made a statement in his return when he knocked out Alistair Overeem at UFC Fight Night 50 and has etched his name into the top 5 HW rankings with consecutive wins over Matt Mitrione and Josh Barnett.
JDS, who has struggled to find his footing since losing to Cain Velasquez at UFC 166, acknowledges Rothwell’s new-found self belief and expects a war on April 10th.
“He believes in the weapons he has. He’s a strong man, a big dude, and it’s going to be a tough fight for both of us,” he continued. “I think he will try to stand against me, a striker, but his fight with Barnett showed that we have to pay attention to every area against him. He has some good techniques on the ground. He might not have many techniques, but he knows how to make it work so we have to be careful.”
Dos Santos was once feared as the baddest man on the planet but was knocked out by “The Reem” in December. The Brazilian will look to spring back into the winners column against Rothwell and reaffirm his position as one of the most dangerous fighters on the roster.
UFC Fight Night 86 will take place at the Arena Zagreb in Croatia on April 10th.