UFC
UFC Heavyweight Champ Junior dos Santos says opponent, date for next fight haven't been set
Jul 7, 2012 - 2:45:48 PM UFC Heavyweight Champ Junior dos Santos says opponent, date for next fight haven't been set

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the next UFC Heavyweight Championship bout. It's been expected that Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez will be squaring off in a rematch of their UFC on Fox headliner from last year, but all we know right now is it won't take place at UFC 152 in Toronto.

Both fighters have at one point in time been named as the reason for the delay in the fight, with rumors of a Velasquez hand injury at first and then UFC President Dana White saying the date is now up to dos Santos. However, the Brazilian Champ says he's out of the loop on it, and hasn't been told for sure that he's even fighting Velasquez.

"I don't know who my next opponent is or where my fight is going to be, but if my next fight is in Brazil and against Cain Velasquez, I'm really happy," Dos Santos said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "I want to fight in Brazil, and if I fight against Cain again, I think it's going to be a good fight."

The UFC is expected to return to Rio de Janeiro in October, which could be a home for the fight, but again, nothing is yet set for the bout.

Penick's Analysis: There's one other possible wrench the UFC could throw into this situation, though Velasquez and his camp wouldn't like it. With Fabricio Werdum picking up his second straight win in the Octagon at UFC 147 in Brazil, and having lost to dos Santos four years ago, that rematch could put two Brazilian fighters in a Heavyweight Championship bout in front of their home country fans. That could be a very interesting bout for the UFC, and it may be one they're considering. If not, they may still give dos Santos his wish to fight in Brazil, with the Velasquez rematch coming on top of that card. For now, we still just don't know.

[Junior dos Santos art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]