• UFC 146

Dos Santos: Frank Mir is too slow to beat me

ESPN staff
May 23, 2012
Junior Dos Santos ready for Frank Mir

Junior Dos Santos has told Frank Mir he is too slow to win the UFC heavyweight title, and the Brazilian warned the rest of the division that nobody is taking his belt for the foreseeable future.

Dos Santos makes the first defence of his crown at UFC 146 this weekend, taking on former champion Mir in a clash of styles. The Brazilian is the best boxer in the division, the challenger has the best ground game.

Crucially the fight starts standing, and Dos Santos insists there is no way Mir will be able to take it to the mat, because he simply will not be able to get his hands on the champion.

"Frank Mir's strengths are his ground game, his Jiu-Jitsu, it's very good," Dos Santos said. "He kicks very well too and he's different because he's a southpaw. But the best part of him is his ground game.

"He doesn't have enough speed [to use his Jiu-Jitsu], I'm faster than him and I can punch him before he gets close enough to me."

Far from seeing Saturday's fight as a significant test, Dos Santos instead predicts he will dominate. And, having already beaten Cain Velasquez in 64 seconds, he predicts he will remain champion for a long time to come.

"I will dominate the fight, I will put my strategy into the fight and it's going to be my fight, not his.

"I'll push him more and more until he gets tired, and then I'll knock him out. I know he's tough but I don't care, I will win this fight and keep the belt for a long time. Nobody's taking this belt."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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