Junio dos Santos: "The Brazilian Prodigy"
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:16 am
Until 21 years old Junior dos Santos had never ventured into the fighting world. Six years later, “Cigano” became the Brazilian promess in the UFC heavyweight division with five fights and five victories. Four were by knockout, always showing the power of his boxing developed at Luiz Dorea’s gym, the master of Acelino “Popó” Freitas, in Salvador-Bahia. Today, he rides for the first chance to hold the belt and isn’t intimidated “I would defeat Brock Lesnar with my speed”.
“Lesnar is a very strong man, featured for his weight and strength and fighting him would please me. I guess what distinguish me in the division is my speed. I would use it against him”.
The history of the prodigy didn’t begin in Bahia. Dos Santos was born in Caçador, Santa Catarina, a state in Brazil borded with Paraná. Out there, he knew judô and capoeira but didin’t take the sports seriously. At 18 years old, decided to change his life drastically. He had some friends in Bahia and headed out there.
To maintain himself, Cigano worked as a waiter looking for better opportunities. Before getting into the fights, he met his wife and launched a toy shop but the business lost him to rings.
“Unfortunatelly the shop started going badly and in 2005 with 21 years I started training” reminds Junior during a boxing session at Dorea’s Champion gym, in Cidade Nova. Then signed up at an academy and dedicated to jiu-jitsu with master Yuri Carlton. The empathy with the sport was instantaneous.
“I already was large, strong to train and master Yuri noticed I learned quickly and liked what I showed. But I didn’t like MMA, I fell from the hang-glider. There was a valetudo camp in the afternoon and Yuri invited me and I just liked it”.
In 2006 came the major change for the freshman fighter. He was introduced to Luiz Dorea, famous coach who took Popó for the boxing world championship title. Besides boxing, Dorea was starting to proceed the preparation for mixed martial artists focusing boxing with Rodrigo and Rogerio Nogueira, JDR’s idols. Placed to be tested versus a heavyweight veteran, Cigano debuted with a knockout “by rage”.
The differential of the athlete according to himself is his strenth in boxing. Despite also dedicate to other styles such as wrestling and Muay Thai, he trains in the ring every day intensifying the variety of martial arts when the appointment comes nearer.
“Boxing is in the legs, moving and how you posture body to attack. In my fights I put myself propoerly. It’s not just power, I attempt to place me to throw a good punch” explains the expert.
The series of undefeated outcomes put Cigano among the contenders who hanker to disput the title of the category currently held by champion Brock Lesnar but Junior is confident to catch the belt from the white giant.
"Lesnar is a very strong man, featured for his weight and strength and fighting him would please me. I guess what distinguish me in the division is my speed. I would use it against him".
The next appearance is yet to be officialized by the organization and may take part of UFC 117 against Roy Nelson, in the same night in which Anderson Silva squares off Chael Sonnen.
“I’m very confident, in a special moment of my career and this is an opportunity that I will take advantage of” told the man who might become the third Brazilian champion beside of “The Spider” and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Translated by Eduardo Cruz from http://www.uol.com.br
“Lesnar is a very strong man, featured for his weight and strength and fighting him would please me. I guess what distinguish me in the division is my speed. I would use it against him”.
The history of the prodigy didn’t begin in Bahia. Dos Santos was born in Caçador, Santa Catarina, a state in Brazil borded with Paraná. Out there, he knew judô and capoeira but didin’t take the sports seriously. At 18 years old, decided to change his life drastically. He had some friends in Bahia and headed out there.
To maintain himself, Cigano worked as a waiter looking for better opportunities. Before getting into the fights, he met his wife and launched a toy shop but the business lost him to rings.
“Unfortunatelly the shop started going badly and in 2005 with 21 years I started training” reminds Junior during a boxing session at Dorea’s Champion gym, in Cidade Nova. Then signed up at an academy and dedicated to jiu-jitsu with master Yuri Carlton. The empathy with the sport was instantaneous.
“I already was large, strong to train and master Yuri noticed I learned quickly and liked what I showed. But I didn’t like MMA, I fell from the hang-glider. There was a valetudo camp in the afternoon and Yuri invited me and I just liked it”.
In 2006 came the major change for the freshman fighter. He was introduced to Luiz Dorea, famous coach who took Popó for the boxing world championship title. Besides boxing, Dorea was starting to proceed the preparation for mixed martial artists focusing boxing with Rodrigo and Rogerio Nogueira, JDR’s idols. Placed to be tested versus a heavyweight veteran, Cigano debuted with a knockout “by rage”.
The differential of the athlete according to himself is his strenth in boxing. Despite also dedicate to other styles such as wrestling and Muay Thai, he trains in the ring every day intensifying the variety of martial arts when the appointment comes nearer.
“Boxing is in the legs, moving and how you posture body to attack. In my fights I put myself propoerly. It’s not just power, I attempt to place me to throw a good punch” explains the expert.
The series of undefeated outcomes put Cigano among the contenders who hanker to disput the title of the category currently held by champion Brock Lesnar but Junior is confident to catch the belt from the white giant.
"Lesnar is a very strong man, featured for his weight and strength and fighting him would please me. I guess what distinguish me in the division is my speed. I would use it against him".
The next appearance is yet to be officialized by the organization and may take part of UFC 117 against Roy Nelson, in the same night in which Anderson Silva squares off Chael Sonnen.
“I’m very confident, in a special moment of my career and this is an opportunity that I will take advantage of” told the man who might become the third Brazilian champion beside of “The Spider” and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Translated by Eduardo Cruz from http://www.uol.com.br