Junior Dos Santos Targets Title Fight Against Daniel Cormier
Junior dos Santos targets a fight against UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier before DC walks away from the sport. JDS is slated to fight 265-pound brawler Derrick Lewis in the headliner of UFC Wichita (also known as UFC on ESPN+ 4).
The former UFC heavyweight champion scored a second-round TKO win over Tai Tuivasa in the UFC Adelaide headliner. This fight went down in December at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, South Australia on FOX Sports 1.
JDS hopes with a win over Lewis, who just challenged for the UFC heavyweight title against DC in November, will get him closer to a title shot.
”Derrick Lewis just fought for the belt, he’s No. 2 in that ranking the UFC does, so it’s a great fight,” dos Santos told MMA Fighting. “It’s the type of challenge I was hoping for, it motivates us, so I’m happy. We’ll have a short camp this time, only two months, but it will be enough.”
”I haven’t thought too much about that, but I think so, yes,” dos Santos said when asked if he should be next for Cormier with a win. “Derrick Lewis is ranked No. 2, so I think I can definitely fight for the belt after this win. What matters the most is getting good victories. I’m already qualified to fight for the belt, but we obviously need a winning streak to get there.”
The former UFC heavyweight champ has won his last two bouts with a decision win over Blagoy Ivanov in July and a knockout against Tuivasa. Now, he has set out a goal to fight Cormier.
On His Way
”People want to see the best fighting for the title, and I think I’ll be on my way to the belt with this win,” dos Santos said. “That makes me happy because I know Cormier is planning on retiring soon and one of my goals would be fighting him before he retires. There are several important fights I still want to do, but since he’s retiring soon, it would be a challenge that would both motivate and excite me.”
UFC on ESPN+ 4 is set to take place on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The main card will air on ESPN + as well as the preliminary card.
