Junior dos Santos: It’s ‘almost certain’ that Brock Lesnar won’t be clean for UFC return

Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon to challenge recently-crowned UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in 2019, but a former UFC champion doesn’t think it’s fair.

Junior dos Santos, who was slated to face Lesnar back in 2011 but saw the fight fall through due to Lesnar’s battle with diverticulitis, spoke with the Brazilian media on Wednesday about the back and forth between Lesnar and Cormier inside the cage in Las Vegas following DC’s win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.

”The return of Brock Lesnar didn’t surprise me,” dos Santos said. “What surprised me was Cormier, a two-division champion living the moment he was living, the most special moment of his career, calling out Brock Lesnar inside the Octagon. I didn’t understand it, actually. I was shocked with the situation, it became theatrical. It was kind of ridiculous.”

“Cigano” only understood Cormier’s decision when he watched the post-fight press conference online.

”I was watching the press conference later and he was explaining that Brock Lesnar is a guy that sells a lot of pay-per-view,” dos Santos said, “So it will be a fight that involves a lot of money for him as well, and he’s getting an easy fight… Not that it’s easy, but it’s an easier fight with a lot to gain financially.”

The Brazilian heavyweight headlines Saturday’s Fight Night event in Boise against Blagoy Ivanov, and doesn’t think it’s fair that Lesnar will get to fight for the belt after going winless for eight years, but “that doesn’t matter much; if people wanna see it, the UFC has to make it.”

”That’s completely unfair, but we know that rankings don’t work in the UFC,” dos Santos said. “Rankings are based on a weird policy, but it’s not cool to see Brock Lesnar skipping the line especially because he didn’t stop fighting because he chose to, he failed a drug test for something he has always used, you can clearly see it.

”He was cut by USADA and now he returns like it’s something positive, but it’s not. He adds nothing to the sport. He’s a guy that cheats. The only benefit he brings is that people really like watching him, that big guy.”

Lesnar re-entered the USADA testing pool and has to go through six months of random drug testing before he steps his foot back in the Octagon, and “Cigano” wonders how the former WWE star and former UFC heavyweight champion won’t test positive for performance enhancing drugs.

“I’ve learned that those who use those types of performance drugs can’t stay without them because they don’t produce testosterone the way they did, they don’t produce HGH they way they should, and many other hormones,” dos Santos said. “To compete at high level, these guys can’t do without it. I don’t know what will be his strategy, but it’s almost certain that he won’t be clean.”