Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos is Bullish About His Chances About Beating WBC Champion Deontay Wilder… But First He Has to Get Past the Looming Threat of Francis Ngannou… 

Maybe it’s time to start testing Junior Dos Santos for signs of CTE because the Brazilian believes that he is a good enough boxer to beat Deontay Wilder. It doesn’t matter how many MMA fighters try to take on specialists in their own fields, it’s usually only going to end one way.

We saw Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor – officially – and Tenshin Nasukawa – unofficially. We’ve seen Jordan Burroughs wipe the floor with one of MMA’s greatest ever wrestling stylists in Ben Askren. While an MMA fighter would obviously beat a specialist if they could use all their tools, they’re obviously not as proficient in each skill individually as someone who makes it their life’s work.

So that’s what makes Dos Santos’s words so frustrating. Especially when he has an insanely dangerous fight with Francis Ngannou coming up next.

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Knockout

Dos Santos is set to take on Francis Ngannou at UFC Minneapolis this weekend in Minnesota. Dos Santos is a former heavyweight champion, while Ngannou has fought once for the coveted belt but fell short against Stipe Miocic. On paper, it’s set to be a very entertaining fight. Dos Santos believes he’s going to smash Ngannou to pieces.

“I can knock anyone out in this division and Ngannou is going to be the next guy,” Dos Santos told MMA Fighting. “I even have enough boxing to beat boxing champions.”

Ok then.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports.

Bronze Bomber

‘Cigano’ is on a three-fight winning streak and is obviously feeling very confident because he thinks Deontay Wilder would be a very easy match-up. Despite being one of the biggest knock-out artists in combat sports, Dos Santos thinks he’s too good to be threatened by the American.

“It could be Deontay Wilder because everything I see about Deontay, he’s a great champion, he knocks everybody out and he doesn’t run away from a good match,” he said. “I can see many, many holes in his game. Can you imagine I’m not worrying about no takedowns, no kicks, no jiu-jitsu, only boxing? That would be paradise for me.”

Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports.

Do or Die

He did acknowledge that he has work to do in the UFC before he even thinks about properly calling out boxing champions, but that remains his ultimate goal. This fight against Francis Ngannou is realistically make-or-break for both men. It will put the winner in with a solid claim of getting the next title shot.

“Now my biggest goal is to go back, fight for the title in the UFC, take the belt back and then start promoting a fight against one of the boxing champions,” Dos Santos summed up. 

That will be no easy task. Speaking of KO artists, Ngannou is probably the biggest one in the UFC right now. Can Dos Santos beat him? Yes of course. But by standing and boxing with the giant Cameroonian, who has never been knocked out, he’s writing his own suicide letter. Take him down as Stipe Miocic did. Put this boxing business to bed.

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