Junior dos Santos on Lesnar Title Shot: 'This Isn't WWE'

Junior dos Santos is hoping that a win over Tai Tuivasa this weekend will vault him up the ladder and back into contention for the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight championship, a title that he held between November 2011 and December 2012.

Speaking to Sherdog.com at UFC Fight Night 142 media day in Adelaide, Western Australia, dos Santos was enthusiastic about his future in the heavyweight division, but focused on the task at hand. “My biggest goal is to keep winning” he said. “To go there on Saturday and beat Tai Tuivasa. [After that] there are many opportunities, possibilities in this division. We have a lot of options. I have rematches, I have new fighters to fight. No doubt the UFC will find some good entertaining things for [me].”

Unsurprisingly, one of the matchups that excites dos Santos is with incumbent champion Daniel Cormier, who most recently defended the mantle of “baddest man on the planet” in November by submitting top-5 ranked Derrick Lewis in the second round.

“Cigano” is intrigued by the possibility of fighting “DC” before he retires from the sport in 2019, and notes his history with DC’s camp, American Kickboxing Academy. “Since his partner Cain Velasquez is out, maybe [DC] can handle what he left” dos Santos said with a grin, referring to his three fights with Velasquez. “JDS” knocked out Velasquez to win the title in November 2011, but lost the second and third in their series in 2012 and 2013 and has struggled to recapture momentum since then.

However, the Brazilian, who will enter the Octagon for the 15th time on Saturday, was not all smiles discussing Cormier, noting his dissatisfaction with the champ being able to choose his battles. “It’s weird. I don’t know what DC’s doing. I know he’s a great guy, he’s done amazing things. I really respect [him]. But I don’t really understand what he’s doing right now. He wants to do money fights. If the UFC allows him to do that, what can we do?”

When asked specifically about the UFC’s plan to match DC opposite former champion and World Wrestling Entertainment stalwart Brock Lesnar -- whose last official victory was 2010 -- dos Santos didn’t pull any punches.

“To fight for the title? No way. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m ashamed of that. This guy -- first, he’s not in the position to fight for the title. Second, he’s out because USADA put him out. So he’s going to come back and fight for the title? What is that? [This isn’t] a theatre, this isn’t WWE. We don’t get to do whatever you want to do. We have to follow rules here. This is a sport.”

As for Saturday night, dos Santos is all business. Before a very amicable fact-to-face meeting during fight week, he and Tuivasa had traded barbs on social media, and last month dos Santos sharply criticized the undefeated 25-year-old for identifying himself as a “street fighter.”

“He’s a very nice guy,” dos Santos said. “I’m glad that I met him [on Tuesday]. I have no doubts we will give people, the MMA fans, an amazing war.”