Junior dos Santos: "Maybe I Can Fight Cheick Kongo Now"

by Kelvin Hunt on Mar 3, 2009 1:05 PM EST in News

“I heard I could face Heath Herring, but then I heard he was going to Bellator event. Maybe I can fight Chick Kongo now… I hope they put some guy with a good name against me. I think it’d be an interesting fight against him (Kongo), he’s very strong, but doesn’t know a thing on the ground, he’s pretty weak. I think we’d do a great fight standing, very aggressive, and I’d be better than him on the ground, easily”.

-Junior dos Santos speaking with Tatame.com about what's next for him.

It's interesting he mentions Heath Herring going to Bellator. The word is Heath Herring will be fighting Cain Velasquez at UFC 99. Maybe dos Santos is misinformed, or maybe he knows something we don't. Regardless, he's setting the stage to move up the UFC HW ladder now in calling out Kongo. A fight against Cheick Kongo would be very good matchmaking provided Kongo gets past Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97. He's a name most fans should recognize for the most part, and is 4-1 in his last five fights. Dos Santos is currently 2-0 inside the cage, blasting through both opponents inside of 2 minutes of the first round.

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kongo/hardonk winner is the perfect next fight for dos santos.

by bdw on Mar 3, 2009 1:25 PM EST reply actions

Yea, I guess he thinks Kongo will win that one?

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by Kelvin Hunt on Mar 3, 2009 1:37 PM EST reply actions

Ooooo... me likey!

I’d love to see that fight. I think Dos Santos is right that he’d have a significant advantage on the ground, but Cheick might have the advantage on the feet. Thoughts?

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by funnytiger on Mar 3, 2009 2:33 PM EST reply actions

I like the match-up

I agree adv Cheick on the feet, and adv Santos on the back.

"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z

by Wmillion on Mar 3, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions

Kongo should have the edge standing I suppose…dos Santos is a brown belt in BJJ if I remember correctly. However, Kongo has improved his wrestling quite a bit. He’s not Sherk on the ground, but he has improved in that area. dos Santos hasn’t even attempted to take a fight to the ground, so maybe he would want to stand and trade? Although he’s openly stated in the quote that he thinks Kongo is wack on the ground.

http://www.mmaforreal.com

by Kelvin Hunt on Mar 3, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

Isn’t Dos Santos the Brazilian Kickboxing champ, and undefeated in Kickboxing? If so, I’d have a hard time saying Kongo would have an advantage standing. It would be a hell of a fight, regardless.

by brad23 on Mar 3, 2009 6:55 PM EST up reply actions

2005 King of Colosseum tournament champion
2005 Rings World champion
2004 King of the Ring Super Heavyweight champion
2004 Muay Thai World champion
2003 Intercontinental Muay Thai champion
2002 Rings European champion
2001 Rings European Vice champion
European Savate champion

If wiki is accurate(sometimes they are not) I’d say that Kongo has the edge standing^…Kongo is 19-2 with 13 KO’s as a kickboxer

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by Kelvin Hunt on Mar 3, 2009 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

great fight. The UFC HW division has suddenly become awesome.

by steak_knife on Mar 3, 2009 3:08 PM EST reply actions

dos Santos vs. Kongo would be awesome – I just love it when these big monsters duke it out.

Bloody hell.

by 3PA on Mar 3, 2009 3:47 PM EST reply actions

….as long as the fight remains standing. Heavyweights look awkward on the ground. They aren’t quick and easy on the eye when they wrestle.

I’d love this fight to happen. Dos Santos has a significant advantage on the ground being a bjj black belt and I dare say he is just as good as Kongo on his feet. And we know he has KO power.

by cauliflower_ears on Mar 4, 2009 6:11 AM EST up reply actions

See I don’t really care that their technique is sloppy, as long as it’s not two guys who don’t know what the fuckt to do on the ground dry humping each other for 15 minutes.

Bloody hell.

by 3PA on Mar 4, 2009 7:17 AM EST up reply actions

haha…I dunno…I don’t like sloppy technique…especially standing…like I cringe when watching Griffin/Bonnar….lol

http://www.mmaforreal.com

by Kelvin Hunt on Mar 4, 2009 8:14 AM EST reply actions

Standing up sloopy technique still leads to knock outs, if a guy who can’t pass guard/posture up/hit lands in the guard of a guy who don’t know BJJ/how to scramble it’s the most boring shit ever.

Bloody hell.

by 3PA on Mar 4, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions