After a year of battling through the rankings, Junior dos Santos will finally receive his title shot against Cain Velasquez.
The Brazilian has been on a collision course in the heavyweight division, and his most recent win over Shane Carwin positioned him in line to face the heavyweight champion on November 12.
The intrigue that surrounds this bout goes further than a championship. Velasquez and dos Santos are two of the most dynamic and well-rounded heavyweights competing in mixed martial arts today. In most rankings, both fighters stand above the rest of the competition.
Velasquez presents a different challenge for dos Santos; however, the Brazilian understands how much of a threat the champion poses to him.
“To be honest, he’s a really complete fighter and fast, unlike most heavyweights,” dos Santos told USA Today. “I hope that I’m going to be the same to him; I hope that I’ll be his biggest challenge to date, as well.”
There is really no comparison between the two heavyweights; both employ different strategies in each of their fights and employ different motives to go along with it. Velasquez implements wrestling and a good variety of kickboxing, while dos Santos utilizes strong boxing skills and excellent takedown defense.
Yet the only difference between them might be motivation, which dos Santos said has helped him mentally prepare for the title bout. And although they are still two months away from their showdown, dos Santos’ motivation to become the new heavyweight champion is more than anyone can imagine.
“I thank God that I’ll be getting my chance to show everybody that I am the No. 1 heavyweight in the world,” he said. “I’m so happy that the opportunity is finally here.
“The relief is just mixed with motivation and anticipation, and when they let us know it was going to be the fight on Fox, that just gives me extra motivation and makes me want it even more.”
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