Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has engaged in many great battles in the octagon, but one man he hasn’t faced yet is Alistair Overeem. In a conversation with Bloody Elbow’s Anton Tabuena last month, Overeem expressed interest in finally fighting Dos Santos, calling it a challenging fight. With other media outlets he wasn’t quite as complimentary, referring to JDS as a “gatekeeper”. Dos Santos responded to those comments as a guest on The MMA Hour this week (via MMA Fighting):
“I have to smile because this guy, he knows I’m hurt and that’s why he’s saying these things. I’m injured and I can’t fight right now and that’s why he’s saying this kind of things. I really think he wants to promote himself. I wanna see him saying these things when I’m 100 percent again. I think he’s going to be quiet again. But of course, I don’t pick opponents. If the UFC wants me to fight him, I will fight him and I will be glad to face him. We were supposed to fight twice and both of the times didn’t happen because something happened with him.”
He did state that Overeem’s recent victories were impressive, but had a caveat for that:
“I think he did well, he did a good job. He’s a good athlete, he’s a good fighter, but, for sure, he’s a better talker than a fighter.”
Dos Santos (17-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who is coming off a decision victory over Stipe Miocic in December, says he needs three more months to recover from his injuries before he’ll return to training. Overeem has stated that he’d like to fight in July or August, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he waits for the shot at JDS.
About the author
