UFC heavyweight combatant Junior Dos Santos figures to have his hands and feet full Saturday night when he steps into the cage with Cain Velasquez for the pair's third showdown, but in the buildup Dos Santos made an odd challenge to fighters who ply their trade in a different ring.
Dos Santos, a skilled boxer, claims he wants to lace on a pair of boxing gloves and take on the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, who have dominated the heavyweight landscape in boxing for years.
"I'm a boxing guy. I love to box with my training partners and everything but now everybody is saying this, everybody wants to fight with boxing guys. It's become not sincere. When I say that, I'm sincere," Dos Santos said.
"I think if they give me four months to get prepared, I can beat [the Klitschkos]" he said. "I love to train boxing and I think I have enough skills in boxing. I know how to see a good fight. Four months, that's what I need."
Dos Santos said he's broached the boxing topic with UFC president Dana White in the past. "I did talk to Dana but just a little bit once," Dos Santos said. "It wasn't very serious. Next time, maybe I'll do that."
Perhaps Dos Santos should be fully devoting his time to preparing for Velasquez, who beat him by unanimous decision in their last meeting. Dos Santos will also need to protect his face on Saturday, after suffering a facial cut that nearly derailed the fight.
Dos Santos' cut required three stitches; he's saying the laceration is fine and he's ready to go, but the possibility of it reopening against the powerful Velasquez is high. Dos Santos doesn't seem worried, however.
"It was in the training (camp), and it was accidental," Dos Santos said. "I'm OK already. I'm 100 percent already."
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