UFC: Junior dos Santos looking to use Tai Tuivasa as stepping stone back to the top

Junior dos Santos will meet Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night Adelaide. Photo / Getty Images

When Junior dos Santos steps inside the octagon at UFC Fight Night Adelaide in December, he'll have the opportunity to achieve something rare.

Already with a win over Kiwi Mark Hunt, a third-round knockout in 2013, the Brazilian heavyweight will meet Hunt's apprentice Tai Tuivasa in the main event on the Adelaide card on December 2 looking to wrap up the master and apprentice double.

"Probably Mark Hunt's going to give him some tips and advice," dos Santos told the Herald from his training camp at American Top team in Florida.

"That's good for him - because he's going to need it."

The former UFC heavyweight champion, who holds a 19-5-0 record, had nothing but admiration for Hunt, who will be fighting his final bout in the UFC on the same card.

The two fought five years ago in dos Santos' first fight since losing his title to Cain Velasquez. The bout saw dos Santos jump right back into the No.1 contender's spot as he put Hunt away late in the piece.

#AVERDADEPREVALECE #TRUTHPREVAILS #JDS #TEAMCIGANO #DECEMBER1st #UFCAdelaide pic.twitter.com/toOQokCoS1

— Junior Dos Santos (@junior_cigano) October 10, 2018

"He's a great fighter," dos Santos said of Hunt. "He puts on a great show every time he fights, so I enjoy seeing Mark Hunt fighting, and I'm glad he's still fighting; he's 44 and still fighting in a high performance so it's good to see someone like this always putting on a great show and giving us, MMA fans, these great fights."

However, the Brazilian was not thinking about the past. After being limited to fighting just once in each of the past for years, dos Santos was eager to get back into the cage for the second time in 2018. In his most recent bout, he beat Bulgarian Blagoy Ivanov by unanimous decision in Idaho in July.

"I had some trouble with some surgeries I had," he said of his limited activity in recent years, "and the last one was this USADA thing that was the biggest … I don't know."

In August 2017, dos Santos was pulled from an upcoming bout for a potential United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation. He was sidelined for seven months before being cleared of intentionally using performance enhancing drugs.

"It's in the past already, I don't care about that anymore. I'm looking forward to the future."

After a successful return against Ivanov, in dos Santos' his immediate future awaits the undefeated Australian Tuivasa (8-0-0), who will be more than happy to stand in the middle and trade shots with the 193cm Brazilian.

Both fighters have shown plenty of striking power over their careers, with dos Santos claiming 12 of his 19 wins by knockout, and Tuivasa earning seven of his eight in the same fashion.

"Winning is the most important thing, especially in this sport, because when you lose in this sport it's very hard because you go back and you have to rebuild your chances to fight for the title.

"The heavyweight division is having a good moment with some good fighters. Tai Tuivasa is one of them. He's doing a good job, as I can see. But for me, he's my next fight and that's it."

UFC Fight Night Adelaide card

Heavyweight bout: Junior dos Santos (7) v Tai Tuivasa** (11) - main event
Heavyweight bout: Mark Hunt* (10) v Justin Willis (15)
Light-heavyweight bout: Mauricio Rua (12) v Tyson Pedro** (15)
Flyweight bout: Wilson Reis (8) v Ben Nguyen (12)
Light-heavyweight bout: Paul Craig v Jim Crute**
Flyweight bout: Kai Kara-France* v Ashkan Mokhtarian**
Welterweight bout: Keita Nakamura v Salim Touahri
Welterweight bout: Yushin Okami v Alexey Kunchenko
Welterweight bout: Luke Jumeau* v Geoff Neal

* - Kiwi ** - Australian