By James Slater: There could be another MMA warrior making the switch to boxing later this year. We’ve seen some lesser names make the switch, and we’ve also seen some high-profile boxers try their hand in the cage, yet the biggest star in all of MMA (arguably at least), in heavyweight Junior Dos Santos has told MMAfighting.com that “in three months” he will be ready “for any fighter in the world, in boxing and in MMA.”
The 6’3” Brazilian who comes in at approx 240-pounds told the site he is a big boxing fan, and that he himself has boxing skills he is proud of; the result of his boxing training. Apparently, David Haye, who Dos Santos is a fan of, said that the 27-year-old has the best chance of all current MMA fighters when it comes to being able to succeed in boxing.
Asked if he would like to challenge one of the Klitschkos, Dos Santos smiled and said he sure would.
“The Klitschkos are winning everything right now, of course,” Dos Santos Said. “I like watching boxing. I want to have a boxing fight one day; I’m a boxer-type guy. It would be a good challenge for me [to fight a Klitschko]. Give me three months of preparation and I can fight anyone I want – in boxing or in MMA.”
Of course, the chances of Dos Santos (who faces Frank Mir at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas this Saturday) ever actually fighting Wladimir or Vitali are slim, very slim – but what an event it would be if such a match-up did get made. Imagine the massive ton of fan interest! And let’s face it, Wladimir (who looks set to carry on for a few more years, his brother Vitali looking at retiring quite soon) is having such a tough time finding suitable and fan-intriguing opposition, that maybe a novelty fight against an MMA legend wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Back in his 1970’s reign, the great Muhammad Ali took it upon himself to try something different by facing a top name wrestler, and okay, that event was a letdown of a bore, but would Klitschko-Dos Santos be boring? No way! Again, there is only an ultra-slim shot of this match-up taking place (although both Klitschkos, Wladimir especially, are fans of MMA – Wladimir recently telling Jim Rome: “I got into the style of MMA. It’s a very tough sport….you have to be a good wrestler, you have to be a good kick-boxer, you have to be a good boxer. I want to try the fitness. Just get into an MMA gym and just practice certain things.”)
Maybe, just maybe, Klitschko would welcome the idea of fighting Dos Santos in a bout governed by boxing rules? Hey, you’d watch it, wouldn’t you!