More than four years have passed – almost a generation in the fight game – since Junior Dos Santos stood atop the heavyweight mountain.
During Dos Santos’s reign, names like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey hadn’t even broken onto the scene in the UFC.
The heavyweight title challenger is a throwback fighter and a man who carries a nation with him into battle with current champion Stipe Miocic Saturday night in Dallas on Pay Per View.
“I’m the type of warrior that good to have on your side in a war,” Dos Santos said after his session at UFC 211 Open Workouts. Dos Santos received a massive ovation and several "JDS" chants broke out during his workout.
"I would never give up. Even if I was living a bad moment I would never give up. I would keep trying and moving forward.”
That courage that Dos Santos is referring to was on display in his first fight against Miocic in 2014. The two waged an all-time classic, going the distance in a bloody back-and-forth slugfest. The Brazilian emerged victorious but three years later, Miocic has evolved and now claims the title of baddest man on the planet.
“I’m going to go out there and do my job. I worked way too hard to win that belt and I’m not giving it up,” Miocic said.
Don’t miss UFC 211, the most stacked fight card of 2017, live on Pay Per View Saturday night beginning at 10 p.m. / 7 p.m. ETPT.
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