Issue 099
March 2013
The unknown fighters who left their mark on the records of mma’s biggest stars
Only one man besides Cain Velasquez has beaten former UFC champ Junior Dos Santos – and he did it in 73 seconds
Rumour has it, future heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos was poised to sign a UFC contract a year before he actually did, in late 2008. The delay was apparently due to a 73-second arm lock loss at MTL: Final in November ‘07, courtesy of Joaquim Ferriera.
However, unlike most future champions, Junior already knew his conqueror. In the finals of a four-man tourney at XFC in Rio seven months earlier, in a sparsely attended gymnasium, Ferreira had quit because of exhaustion after trying to slug it out with ‘Cigano’ in his second fight of the night. But when ‘Mamute’ (which translates as ‘mammoth’) got another crack at Dos Santos in Sao Paulo, he and his team switched the game plan.
“The idea from beginning to end was take him down, KO him on the ground or get a submission,” says Ferreira. “Thank God I managed to finish.”
And finish he did, against a man who would become one of the most dominating heavyweights of the modern day. He remembers the moment with FO.
Even though you lost to Junior before, you got a quick submission in your rematch. Talk us through it.
“I took him down – I was surprised because I was in half guard, a position that I am very strong in. Usually when I’m in half guard, I do not lose position. However, he’s very strong and he took me out, put his hand in my face and swept me. But I had him in my guard and when he tried to get up I managed to catch him with an armbar.”
Did Junior have a reputation on the circuit even in those days?
“People used to talk about him. He had already won some fights, winning everything that came, a guy who was very strong. One of the things that I heard was, ‘The guy has a punch strong as hell.’”
Have you seen him much since?
“We’ve met at some events, but it was just a hello. We are not friends. I have nothing against him and I think he has nothing against me. I was even pleased; he said in interviews that this fight was a turning point for him, because afterward he felt he became more focused, and began to be more aware of ground fighting and saw possible holes in his game. He didn’t speak with arrogance once. It only increased my admiration for him, and I’d like to take the opportunity to say I’m a fan of his work.”
You’re still fighting today. Would you take a rematch with Dos Santos if it was offered?
“My job is to fight. If they called me, I would accept to fight him. Taking the time necessary to prepare and train. If I win or not, that only God can know. One thing I guarantee is I’ll give my best, do the possible and impossible. I can’t be a little kid and say I would crush ‘Cigano’ today, because he’s prepared and he is not there for free. If you watch Cigano’s career, he faced the toughest fighters in the UFC and knocked out everybody.”
Do you ever recount the story of you beating him to people?
“Many ask. It’s a good feeling to be recognised for it. But I don’t want to be remembered only for that. It’s a great achievement to have won, but I have my job, I fought with a lot of good people here in Brazil as I make my way and want to be remembered for other acts as well. Joaquim Mamute is not just Junior Dos Santos.”
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