Sorry, Stipe Miocic: Junior Dos Santos thinks you're great, but there can only be one champ

DALLAS – If Junior Dos Santos is running for kindest UFC title challenger ever, he can stop now. We’re pretty sure he won.

A few weeks after an exceedingly friendly on-sale tour to promote his UFC 211 rematch against champion Stipe Miocic (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), former heavyweight titleholder Dos Santos (18-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) still hasn’t found bad things to say about his opponent.

If anything, he thinks Miocic is a pretty solid champ. It’s too bad, really, that his sights are set on something he possesses.

“I have a lot of respect for him – he’s a nice guy,” Dos Santos told MMAjunkie. “He represents us as a champion – he does that. But, of course, there’s a place for just one champion. So I’m going to be that guy. Sorry about that, Miocic.”

The heavyweight title fight serves as the main event for Saturday’s pay-per-view main card, which takes place at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Prelims air on FX and UFC Fight Pass.

Dos Santos heads into the rematch ahead on the scoreboard, having walked out of their original five-round UFC on FOX 13 encounter with an unanimous nod. More than two years later, however, Dos Santos expects changes. On Miocic’s end, he sees a much improved fighter. He, in turn, comes in a more mature and experienced version of himself.

The result, Dos Santos believes, will be a much shorter affair.

“It’s going to be done early,” Dos Santos said. “It’s not going to take five rounds for sure. We know a little bit more of each other, so we’r going to be able to do a better strategy for this fight. I’m very confident. I’m saying I’m going to beat him before the end of the second round.

“Why am I saying that? Because I love to be positive. In life, we have to set goals. When I set this goal, I’m building my strategy around that goal. So I think I’m going to be able to finish him, to knock him out or submit him before the end of the second round.”

Living an “amazing” moment of his life, crowned by the recent arrival of his first-born, Dos Santos is even feeling a little … musical.

What do we mean by that? Check out the video above and you’ll find out.

For more on UFC 211, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.