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Junior dos Santos

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Junior dos Santos
Born (1984-09-12) September 12, 1984 (age 40)
Santa Catarina, Brazil
ResidenceBahia, Brasil
NationalityBrazil Brazil
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight108.4 kg (239 lb; 17.07 st)
DivisionHeavyweight (265 lb)
Reach77.0 in (1.96 m)
StyleBoxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofSalvador, Bahia, Brazil
TeamTeam Nogueira
Rank  Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active2006–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total16
Wins15
By knockout11
By submission2
By decision2
Losses1
By submission1
Websitehttp://www.juniordossantos.com.br/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: November 23, 2011

Junior "Cigano" dos Santos Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒũnjoʁ dus ˈsɐ̃tus]),(born September 12, 1984), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked as the #1 heavyweight fighter in the world by numerous media outlets.[2][3][4]

Mixed martial arts career

Dos Santos started training kickboxing. After some time he was invited to join an MMA practice, where he met his boxing coach Luiz Carlos Dórea, and after roughly a year he made his debut fight.[5][6]

Early career

Dos Santos became professional in 2006 at the age of 21. He fought in small promotions in Brazil, such as Demo Fight, Extreme Fighting Championship, Minotauro Fights and Mo Team League. He won six of his first seven bouts, suffering his only loss to Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter he'd previously beaten.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–present)

Debut (2008–2010)

Dos Santos debuted for the UFC on October 25, 2008 at UFC 90. Considered a major underdog,[7] he knocked out top contender Fabricio Werdum at a minute and twenty-one seconds of the first round with a strong uppercut,[8][9] earning himself a "Knockout of the Night" award.[10]

Returned on February 21, 2009 at UFC 95 he fought promotional newcomer Stefan Struve defeating him at fifty-four seconds of the first round by TKO.[11]

On September 19, 2009, Dos Santos continued his winning streak and defeated Mirko Filipović at UFC 103.[12] During the third round Filipović was dominated in the clinch with knee strikes and punches. A knee from the clinch and a right uppercut apparently caused damage to Mirko's left eye causing him to verbally submit.[13]

Dos Santos was supposed to fight Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 108. However, Gonzaga pulled out of the bout on November 25, 2009, due to a staph infection.[14] Instead on January 2, 2010, dos Santos fought Gilbert Yvel,[15] winning the fight via TKO at two minutes and seven seconds of the first round.[16]

Dos Santos defeated Gabriel Gonzaga on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones by knockout in the first round.[17] earning him his second "Knockout of the Night" award.[18]

Heavyweight title contender (2010–2011)

Dos Santos faced Roy Nelson on August 7, 2010, at UFC 117.[19] The fight saw Dos Santos use a variety of strikes and, for the first time, a successful takedown.[20] Despite dos Santos' striking ability, Nelson was able to stay in the fight,[21] resulting in the fight going to decision.[22] Dos Santos won via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–27).[23] Following the win Dos Santos was expected to challenge Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title. However a torn rotator cuff suffered by Velasquez sidelined the champion for nearly a year.[24]

Junior Dos Santos in action against Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 131.

On January 11, 2011, it was revealed that Dos Santos would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 13, opposite to Brock Lesnar.[25] They were scheduled to face each other on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131,[26] but Lesnar pulled out of the bout due to a recurrence of diverticulitis and was replaced by Shane Carwin.[27] Dos Santos dominated Carwin and defeated him via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26),[28] relying predominantly on his boxing skills,[29] but showed more variety in his game by landing a couple of kicks and completing two takedowns in the third round.[30][31]

UFC Heavyweight Champion (2011–present)

Junior Dos Santos with UFC Heavyweight Title Belt.
Junior Dos Santos with the UFC Heavyweight Title Belt.

Dos Santos faced Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on November 12, 2011.[32] He defeated Velasquez in 64 seconds of the first round via KO to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship title[33] He dropped Velasquez with an overhand right and finished him off with a series of punches.[34] The performance also earned him his third "Knockout of the Night" award.[35] After the fight, it was revealed that he had a torn meniscus in his knee,[36] he subsequently underwent a successful knee surgery.[37]

Dos Santos was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at UFC 146.[38] On April 4, 2012, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Overeem had failed a pre-fight drug test.[39] with the end result that Overeem's request for a license was denied.[40] On April 20, 2012, Dana White the UFC president announced Frank Mir would be replacing Overeem.[41] Junior dos Santos was able to keep the fight standing, showing his superior boxing skills, resulting in a KO in the second round.

A rematch against Cain Velasquez was expected on September 22, 2012 at UFC 152,[42] however, it was later announced by Dana White that the fight would take place in Las Vegas on December 29, 2012 at UFC 155.[43] Dos Santos fought Cain Velasquez at UFC 155 on December 29th, 2012, he threw the same knockout punch that was supposed to knock out Cain but Dos Santos was taken down, beaten up and defeated by rear naked choke at 2:22 of the very first round, this counted as Velasquez's first submission win and Dos Santos second submission and his first loss since 2007 back in February when he was submitted by Joaquim Ferria due to an armbar, Dos Santos said that Velasquez is still one of the best fighters out there and he would like to avenge his loss to Joaquim Ferria.

Personal life

Dos Santos states that Antônio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is his hero.[44] In addition to his native Portuguese, Dos Santos speaks English.[45] He received his nickname "Cigano" by showing up to practice with long hair placed in a ponytail, Cigano meaning Gypsy in Portuguese, The name is an allusion to a character from an old Brazilian soap opera, addressing the culture of the gypsies in Brazil.[46] He is a Roman Catholic.[7] He has also stated that as a child he hated fighting.[47]


Championships and accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
17 matches 15 wins 2 losses
By knockout 11 0
By submission 2 2
By decision 2 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 15-2 United States Cain Velasquez Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) UFC 155 December 29, 2012 1 2:22 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 15–1 United States Frank Mir TKO (punches) UFC 146 May 26, 2012 2 3:04 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 14–1 United States Cain Velasquez KO (punches) UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos November 12, 2011 1 1:04 Anaheim, California, United States Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship; Knockout of the Night.
Win 13–1 United States Shane Carwin Decision (unanimous) UFC 131 June 11, 2011 3 5:00 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada UFC Heavyweight title eliminator.
Win 12–1 United States Roy Nelson Decision (unanimous) UFC 117 August 7, 2010 3 5:00 Oakland, California, United States
Win 11–1 Brazil Gabriel Gonzaga KO (punches) UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones March 21, 2010 1 3:53 Broomfield, Colorado, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 10–1 Netherlands Gilbert Yvel TKO (punches) UFC 108 January 2, 2010 1 2:07 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 9–1 Croatia Mirko Filipović Verbal Submission (injury) UFC 103 September 19, 2009 3 2:00 Dallas, Texas, United States Filipović verbally submitted due to fractured orbital bone.
Win 8–1 Netherlands Stefan Struve TKO (punches) UFC 95 February 21, 2009 1 0:54 London, England
Win 7–1 Brazil Fabricio Werdum KO (punches) UFC 90 October 25, 2008 1 1:21 Rosemont, Illinois, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 6–1 Brazil Geronimo dos Santos TKO (doctor stoppage) Demo Fight 3 May 24, 2008 1 0:44 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil Stoppage due to cuts.
Loss 5–1 Brazil Joaquim Ferreira Submission (armbar) MTL: Final November 10, 2007 1 1:13 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 5–0 Brazil Jair Goncalves TKO (punches) Mo Team League 2 September 29, 2007 1 2:52 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 4–0 Brazil Joaquim Ferreira TKO (retirement) XFC: Brazil April 29, 2007 1 5:29 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 3–0 Brazil Edson Silva TKO (doctor stoppage) XFC: Brazil April 29, 2007 1 8:46 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Stoppage due to cuts.
Win 2–0 Brazil Eduardo Maiorino Submission (guillotine choke) Minotauro Fights 5 December 9, 2006 1 0:50 São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Win 1–0 Brazil Jailson Silva Santos KO (soccer kick) Demo Fight 1 July 16, 2006 1 2:58 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

References

  1. ^ Marcelo, Alonso (2011-06-10). "Coach: Dos Santos Ground Game 'Spectacular'". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  2. ^ "Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com. August 22, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  3. ^ "MMA Power Rankings -- HEAVYWEIGHT". ESPN.Go.com. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  4. ^ "Heavyweight MMA". USA Today/SB Nation. 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  5. ^ Dehò, Maurício (2011-11-07). "Cigano foge do rótulo de celebridade em luta da vida e quer nocaute: '5 rounds é chato'" (in Portuguese). UOL.com. Retrieved 2012-04-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Non, Sergio (2011-06-07). "Junior dos Santos: 'I like being the nice guy'". USAToday.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  7. ^ a b Mindenhall, Chuck (March 2011). "Gypsy Road". FightMagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  8. ^ "UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote Results". UFC.com. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  9. ^ Alonso, Marcelo (2008-10-29). "KO Alters Course for Werdum, Dos Santos". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  10. ^ "UFC 90 bonuses: Sherk, Griffin, dos Santos and Fisher each earn $65K". MMAJunkie.com. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  11. ^ Michael David Smith. "UFC 95: Junior 'Cigano' dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve Spoiler". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  12. ^ "UFC 103 Play-by-Play & Results". Sherdog.com. 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  13. ^ Cofield, Steve (2009-09-19). "Mirko 'Cro Cop' no longer scary: Dos Santos' knees force the Croatian legend to quit". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  14. ^ Cofield, Steve (2009-10-25). "Another good fight goes bye-bye: Gonzaga out of UFC 108". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  15. ^ Cofield, Steve (2010-01-02). "Dos Santos wins rock'em, sock'em battle over Yvel". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  16. ^ Leidecker, Tim (2010-01-05). "UFC 108 Analysis: The Main Card". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  17. ^ Karkoski, Kris. "Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Announced for "UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones"". mmafrenzy.com. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  18. ^ Morgan, John; Stupp, Dann (2010-03-21). "UFC on Versus 1 bonuses: Three fighters earn $50,000 "KO of Night" awards". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  19. ^ "Roy Nelson vs. Junior Dos Santos in the works for UFC 117 main card". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  20. ^ "UFC 117 Results & Live Play-by-Play". Sherdog.com. 2010-08-07. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  21. ^ Cofield, Steve (2010-08-07). "UFC 117: Dos Santos pummels Nelson but can't finish 'the belly'". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  22. ^ Non, Sergio (2010-08-07). "Dos Santos pummels Nelson for decision win at UFC 117". USAToday.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  23. ^ "Dos Santos batters 'Zombie' Nelson to earn title shot". ESPN.co.uk. 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  24. ^ Marrocco, Steven (2010-12-29). "Trainer: UFC champ Velasquez out minimum 6-8 months with torn rotator cuff". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  25. ^ Stupp, Dann (2011-01-11). "Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos named "The Ultimate Fighter 13" coaches". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  26. ^ Martin, Damon (2011-01-11). "Brock Lesnar vs. Junior Dos Santos At June UFC PPV; No Interim Title on the Line". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  27. ^ Michael David Smith (2011-05-12). "Brock Lesnar Out of UFC 131". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
  28. ^ Knapp, Brian (2011-06-11). "JDS outguns Carwin, clinches title shot". ESPN.Go.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  29. ^ Whitman, Mike (2011-06-11). "After Outboxing Carwin, 'Cigano' Looks Toward 'Biggest Challenge'". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  30. ^ Mindenhall, Chuck (2011-06-12). "Dos Santos more than just a boxer". ESPN.Go.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  31. ^ "Dos Santos vs. Carwin Official UFC Statistics". FightMetric.com. 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  32. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos headlines UFC's debut on FOX". mmajunkie.com. September 2, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  33. ^ "Junior dos Santos claims title belt". ESPN.Go.com. 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  34. ^ Perez, A.J. (2011-11-13). "Dos Santos stuns Velasquez for UFC title". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  35. ^ Whitman, Mike (2011-11-17). "New Champion Dos Santos Tops UFC on Fox 1 Paydays". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  36. ^ Morgan, John; Marrocco, Steven (2011-11-13). "New UFC champ Junior Dos Santos fought with torn meniscus at UFC on FOX". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  37. ^ Whitman, Mike (2011-12-07). "UFC Champ Dos Santos Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  38. ^ Iole, Kevin (2012-03-31). "Nice guy Dos Santos gears up for Overeem". UK.EuroSport.Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  39. ^ Marrocco, Steven (2012-04-04). "Alistair Overeem fails pre-fight drug test, likely out of UFC 146 title fight". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  40. ^ Chiappetta, Mike (2012-04-24). "Alistair Overeem License Request Denied; Can Re-Apply in December". Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  41. ^ Critchfield, Tristen (2012-04-20). "UFC President Says Frank Mir Will Face Junior dos Santos for Heavyweight Title at UFC 146". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  42. ^ "Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II targeted for UFC 152 headliner". mmajunkie.com. June 9, 2012.
  43. ^ Okamoto, Brett. "Junior Dos Santos to fight Velasquez". ESPN.com. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  44. ^ "Junior Dos Santos – Official UFC® Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 2012-03-10..
  45. ^ Figula, Mark. "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Junior Dos Santos". TheMouthOfMMA.com. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  46. ^ Kestelman, Amanda; Pessanha, Klima (2011-09-11). "'Cigano original' engrossa a torcida por Junior dos Santos no UFC" (in Portuguese). SporTV.Globo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-10. the locks that reached to his shoulders earned Junior dos Santos a nickname he carries to this day: Gypsy. An allusion to Igor, the famous character hairy Ricardo Macchi in 'Exploding Heart', by Rede Globo novela that aired in 1995 and 1996. Macchi, Edson Celulari Seiblitz and Teresa played the leading roles in a plot centered on the love triangle formed by the protagonists and addressing the culture of the gypsies in Brazil. - When I had hair (laughs), I always tied it to train. So, the kids said I looked like this gypsy. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 430 (help)
  47. ^ "ESPN UK Junior Dos Santos Profile". ESPN.co.UK. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
Achievements
Preceded by 16th UFC Heavyweight Champion
November 12, 2011 – Present 		Current holder

Template:The Ultimate Fighter 13

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