Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has sounded off on what went down with the UFC before his release from the promotion.
Dos Santos is turning to a new chapter in his athletic career, transitioning from MMA to professional wrestling with rising promotion All Elite Wrestling. He made his debut this past weekend and most recently made an appearance in the commentary booth for the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort boxing match.
But dos Santos’ 2021 got off to a rocky start after he was let go from the UFC after more than a decade with the promotion. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast, he gave some insight as to what happened towards the end of his UFC career.
Junior dos Santos Was Released By The UFC After Four Straight Losses
“They were unprofessional, let’s put it this way,” Dos Santos said. “I wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. The last two fights I got were on those terms, ‘You take it or you’re out.’”
“I was always a nice guy because that’s how I like to be, I like being nice to people so people are nice to me,” Dos Santos continued. “In a way, they took advantage of it or treated it as a weakness, kind of putting me down. But honestly, that’s in the past. There’s nothing I can do, so I won’t carry that with me because, as I said, that’s in the past and it can’t leave the past.”
The ‘last two fights’ that dos Santos referred to were his most recent TKO losses to top contenders Ciryl Gane and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Before that, dos Santos had lost by two additional knockouts to current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes.
Many feel that dos Santos is one of the most decorated heavyweights in UFC history, with nine straight wins to begin his career with the promotion. He earned the heavyweight belt in 2011 by defeating Cain Velasquez via knockout, before defending the belt successfully against Frank Mir.
Dos Santos had been rumored to be in the running for a fight with heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko for the Russian’s Bellator return, although negotiations never materialized. Dos Santos has alluded to a possible career in boxing to go with his new home in the world of professional wrestling.
What are your thoughts on Junior dos Santos’ recent comments regarding his departure from the UFC?
