11 Questions for Junior dos Santos

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Sherdog.com: I was with Lyoto Machida three days ago, and his brother, Chinzo, told me he thought the way to defeat Jones was with the counterattack. Your master, Luis Carlos Dorea, is an expert in that area. Do you agree that the counterattack may be Jones’ weakness, and what game plan do you think light heavyweight fighters should follow in order to beat him?
Dos Santos: I think differently. I think that to fight with a counterattack, you would have to have a fight with distance, and distance is what Jones likes. His wingspan is the largest in the UFC. In my opinion, the way to defeat Jones is to smother him. You must have a good strategy, wait for the right moment and attack him with all your strength. This can be done through combinations or by taking the fight to the ground. In my case, I would try to use my boxing, some kicks and anticipate the right time to blitz from the outside or inside. You cannot keep an average distance and look for a counterstrike, because you would be letting him act. He’s very dangerous, and because of his very large wingspan, he can stay at a distance that’s safe for him and difficult for his opponent.

Sherdog.com: When Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is at his best, as he was when he defeated Machida, is he the right guy to beat Jones?
Dos Santos: I think so. Shogun is a very aggressive guy. I think what was missing for Shogun was consistency. He was away from fighting, and that made it more difficult for him because he wasn’t in rhythm. Many people don’t think that’s important, but it is of fundamental importance. I could have waited for Velasquez, but I asked for another fight just to keep my timing when I’m fighting to win the belt. I think Shogun was missing that. I think to defeat Jones you have to try to be forceful. That’s the way, in my opinion.

Sherdog.com: Rogerio made a good fight against Phil Davis and defended his takedowns well, but when Davis went to the single-leg, it complicated things for him. Why do you think he failed to defeat Davis?
Dos Santos: Rogerio did an excellent job and defended the takedown. I think the training was so focused on defending takedowns and keeping it standing that he forgot about being aggressive. He defended takedowns but didn’t go to the head after he disrupted Davis’ plans. He should have sought the fight more and believed in a knockout or points. He waited too long, and the guy, who is an excellent wrestler, took him to the ground and fought the fight he wanted. We have trained with Davis, and we knew that was the path for him. He tried to take Rogerio to the ground, fight his fight and make it ugly, and it worked unfortunately.

Sherdog.com: I recently saw you training with Minotauro after his return from a serious operation. I realized with every punch he took and every move he made, he sketched out a smile. Do you think he can be ready for Brendan Schaub at UFC 134 in August and how do you feel about the return of your friend and training partner?
Dos Santos: I think Rodrigo is our great example of overcoming things in life, as an athlete and as a person. Including his last surgery, I think he’s had 25 or 26 surgeries so far. That’s a very high number, and he’s always been a guy who’s endured much in fighting. He only faced great fighters and never chose any fight. I’m certain he will turn it around. After a long time without training, he went through his first workout with me and made it through three five-minute rounds, which is the time of a fight. He had a great workout. As you said, he was smiling and very happy to be training again without feeling any pain. I’m sure he will again be among the best in the world. In my opinion, he never stopped being one of the best. Rodrigo can certainly put an emphasis on his training and face [Schaub], who’s had some good fights. He knocked out [Mirko] “Cro Cop” [Filipovic]. I think Cro Cop did well in the fight but ended up reeling once again. I think facing Schaub will be good for Rodrigo, and it would be good if he made a triumphant return.

Sherdog.com: I was talking to Dorea recently, and we talked about the growth of MMA and how it is increasingly common to see friends on opposite sides. For example, you and Rodrigo have trained with Mark Munoz several times, but now he’ll be on the opposite side when he faces Demian at UFC 131 -- the same event where you will fight next. How do you feel about that?
Dos Santos: I think this thing of being friends and not wanting to face one another is finished. Of course, you must have regard for someone who means something to you, but in the case of the fight between Mark and Demian, I’ll be rooting for Demain. I’ve trained a lot with Mark. I’m friends with him, and I’ll never stop being his friend. I hope he performs well in the fight, but I’ll be rooting for Demian. First off, he’s Brazilian. He’s also my friend and always helping me. For sure, my support will be with Demian. I’m friends with Mark and this fight won’t change anything, but I’ll be rooting for Demian.