Once a dominant force in the UFC’s heavyweight division, former champion Junior dos Santos has signed to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s MMA promotion Eagle FC. Not only that but JDS is set to debut as soon as May, only a few months from now.
Junior Dos Santos is facing Yorgan de Castro, a Cape Verdan slugger with mean leg kicks and lots of heart. It’ll be interesting to see what happens, but surely fans will be looking forward to it. The matchup was first reported by ESPN.
Junior dos Santos Continues a Storied Career, While Yorgan de Castro Looks to Breathe New Life Into His
Junior Dos Santos (21-9, 15-8 UFC)
Dos Santos will no doubt be a favorite leading into this matchup. Skill-wise he probably trumps de Castro in every category. However, this is MMA and the most skilled fighter doesn’t always win.
Looking at “Cigano’s” recent record, you see he’s been knocked out four times in his last five fights, with four consecutive KO losses. Sometimes the chin and brain just get tired of taking all the damage, and the ability to take a shot is just gone. Look at Chuck Liddell as a famous example of this. At his height, he was an untouchable monster. But one day, the chin started to fail, and soon it was almost every fight he was getting knocked out.
Nonetheless, it’ll be interesting to see if dos Santos can handle de Castro’s power. Many say it’s hard to see legends continue to fight past their prime, but no doubt many will still be rooting for the beloved legend that is JDS.
Yorgan De Castro (8-3, 1-3 UFC)
De Castro is looking to continue the impressive run he’s found himself on since getting cut by the UFC. “The Mad Titan” has come a long way since he burst onto the UFC scene with a vicious knockout over Justin Tafa. He’s endured trials and tribulations but is now looking stronger than ever.
Three back-to-back losses would get him released, but now everything is looking up for De Castro. He’s 2-0 since his departure with a decision victory at CES 65 under his belt, and a win via guillotine-choke submission at Eagle FC.
Facing dos Santos will no doubt be De Castro’s greatest test. It’ll also be interesting to see how the experience plays a factor. As “Cigano” has been around forever and faced some of the greatest fighters to grace the heavyweight division.
In other news, Eagle FC has also signed former UFC fighters Hector Lombard and Thiago Silva. The newest additions of the roster will fight in the co-main event, under Dos Santos and De Castro.
