Junior dos Santos has respect for what Derrick Lewis brings to the table ahead of their clash this weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 4 in Wichita, Kansas. In particular, dos Santos has learned to stay leery of the power that Derrick Lewis brings to the table. At the same time, dos Santos has noticed some glaring flaws in Lewis’s game: (translation via Bloody Elbow)
“He’s very strong, he has amazing knockout power,” dos Santos told Combate. “Technically, though, he is not that much, He makes mistakes in some areas. You need to be very careful, all the time.”
There is one thing about Derrick Lewis that Junior dos Santos could do without, and that is Lewis’ outspoken nature and his pension for one-liners. Regardless, no amount of viral comments will prevent what is coming towards Lewis’s active mouth, according to dos Santos:
“He likes to talk too much. He’s a controversial guy,” dos Santos continued. “No matter what he has to say, though, he’s about to taste some of this.” Junior said, pointing to his closed fist.”
If that prediction is correct and Derrick Lewis’s mouth is closed by Junior dos Santos’s fists, the former heavyweight champion believes it should not be long before he is right back in the running for a title shot:
“I’m already qualified to fight for the belt, I just need to beat whoever is ahead of me in the rankings. With one or two more wins, I think I should be fighting for the title again. I want to face the best, the best of the best. I think this could be a great opportunity, Lewis is well ranked and a win over him puts me in a good spot.”
What are your thoughts on Junior dos Santos’s criticism of Derrick Lewis “talking too much?”
