#1 Junior Dos Santos- A true rags-to-riches story
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Junior Dos Santos is one of the nicest guys in the face-punching business- humble, down-to-earth and a true champion. Which in turn makes you wonder where ‘Cigano’ gets this grounded behaviour from?
Raised by a single mother in Cacador, Santa Catarina, Brazil, JDS’ spent his childhood as well as most of his teenage years in poverty. In fact, at the age of 10, he started working as an ice-cream vendor on the streets and later on began working a second shift as a newspaper boy. After struggling to make ends meet right from his childhood to his late-teens, at the age of 21 Dos Santos met Yuri Carlton and began training under him in the art of BJJ. After winning a few BJJ-tournaments in Salvador, Cigano was invited to train in Mixed Martial Arts at a local institution where he met boxing coach Luiz Dorea; a coach who led him to the UFC Heavyweight title.
Furthermore, after a brief split with his former team, JDS is once again training under Dorea at the world-famous American Top Team (ATT) gym in Coconut Creek, Florida, preparing for his upcoming UFC 211 Heavyweight title matchup against old foe and current UFC champ, Stipe Miocic. Considering all the odd jobs Cigano has done to overcome obstacles throughout his life, a HW title fight seems to be no big deal at all!
Every profession deserves respect and as proved by our MMA icons and UFC champs, talent and hard-work are the only friends that’ll help you wade through life’s peaks and troughs. As always keep up with our combat tradition and write to me about fighters who think deserve mention on our list.
Till then, keep training and regardless of your profession, give it your all!
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