• UFC news

Dos Santos surgery not set, but rapid return ruled out

ESPN staff
November 15, 2011
Junior Dos Santos awaits the winner of Brock Lesnar v Alistair Overeem for his first UFC title defense © Getty Images
Enlarge

Junior Dos Santos will speak with a doctor before deciding whether to have surgery on his injured knee, but he has ruled out the possibility of fighting at UFC 142 in Brazil.

Dos Santos took just 64 seconds to defeat Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title on Saturday. Typically, such an efficient victory might see the winner return to the Octagon in similarly rapid time.

However, Cigano went into the bout with a torn meniscus in his knee, revealing he was on crutches just days out from the fight. The new champion is desperate to make his first title defense in Brazil, but he admits January 14 will come too soon.

An additional factor is Dos Santos' next opponent, the winner of Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, who fight on December 30. Therefore, Dos Santos is hoping there will be a second Brazil card later in the year on which he can begin his reign.

"Let's see," Dos Santos said to Tatame regarding the suggestion of surgery. "We'll talk to the doctor and find it out. I thought I could feel some pain or something like that, but I didn't. I was scared of that, but it never happened.

"I guess I can't [make UFC 142], but I really want to fight in Brazil. There'll be many events in Brazil, like Dana [White] said himself. So I want my first title defense to be in Brazil."

Reflecting on victory over Velasquez, Dos Santos confessed he threw plenty of punches early to keep his foe at distance. Then, when he dropped the former champion, Cigano admits he knew he had won even before the referee stopped it.

"I guess I was expecting him to kick me a lot and try to take me down, so I was prepared. I tried to scare him off, keep him in a safe distance so I could use my boxing skills, and, thanks God, everything worked out," Dos Santos explained.

"When I punched him, I saw him going down and I could tell it was easy for me to knock him out and, even before the referee stopped the contest, I could feel that thrill."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close