Junior Dos Santos is still upset about his loss to Ciryl Gane, saying it’s “Like the victim being guilty of crime, theft, murder, or rape.”
Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, suffered his fourth straight loss by knockout when he was finished by Gane at UFC 256. Gane landed an elbow on dos Santos right when he turned his head, and the elbow landed partially to the back of the Brazilian’s head. However, the referee felt that because dos Santos was turning his head at the same time that Gane threw the strike, it was considered a legal blow and Gane won via knockout.
After the event, UFC president Dana White agreed that the elbow was legal and even suggested that dos Santos think about retirement. He didn’t support the former champ in regards to the elbow’s legality and now dos Santos has a bone to pick. Speaking to AG Fight, dos Santos fired back at White and the UFC for not saying the elbow was illegal. He then said he felt like the situation is comparable to a victim being guilty of a crime someone else committed.
“The UFC said nothing more, for him everything is fine, which for me is absurd to happen. A clearly illegal shot and several fighters and the president favorable to what happened, and for me, this is tremendously absurd. In fact, everyone agrees that it was illegal, but what they say is that I turned around and positioned myself that way,” dos Santos said.
“In terms of comparison, which is not even supposed to be used, it is like the victim being guilty of crime, theft, murder, rape. I don’t think it was intentional, but it does not remove the illegality. They are saying that I turned, but I didn’t turn. I was already on the side of him for about eight seconds and you can see the elbow from that point and behind the head.”
Dos Santos believes that because the UFC is trying to push Gane as a future heavyweight title contender, that’s the reason the promotion didn’t back him up when he complained about the elbow. Dos Santos says he’s disappointed that this situation happened and he just wants justice for the finishing blow.
“I think they are trying to pass over this, perhaps because of the negative moment I am living in my career, coming from three consecutive defeats and the guy coming on the rise, still undefeated and maybe they want to jump on that. I don’t know and I don’t care. I just want justice to be done,” dos Santos said.
Do you agree with Junior dos Santos that the elbow that Ciryl Gane knocked him out with was illegal?