SATURDAY NEWS DIGEST 4/6: Brock Lesnar ‘not a real fighter’ according to Junior dos Santos, Romero’s replacement named, more

Actor

If Brock Lesnar returns to UFC later this year as are the rumors, don’t count Junior dos Santos as one of those excited to see him back. Speaking to MMA Junkie recently, the former UFC heavyweight champion seems to think Lesnar would be best to stay with WWE.

“For me, he’s not a real fighter,” Dos Santos said. “He’s an actor, a performer. I don’t know.”

If Lesnar does make an MMA return, it is likely to be against current heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Lesnar and Cormier had their in-cage altercation at UFC 226 last year, and with Lesnar potentially finishing up with WWE as soon as tomorrow night at Wrestlemania, the Lesnar-Cormier fight may be imminent. If it does happen, Dos Santos doesn’t like Lesnar’s chances.

“A fight is a fight,” he said. “(Lesnar is) a huge guy; he has a lot of power. But his chances to beat Cormier will be very, very little. Cormier will do the same gameplan, to take him down, make him tired and finish the fight. As he did with Derrick Lewis last time.”

The animosity Dos Santos feels towards Lesnar may come from the fact that he knows, with Lesnar in the picture, any chances of getting a heavyweight championship fight will be delayed. The two coached opposite each other on the 13th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” back in 2011. There was very little tension between the two at the time. Lesnar and Dos Santos never ended up fighting as Lesnar’s diverticulitis pulled him from action that summer.

At the end of the day though, Dos Santos understands that business is business and that Lesnar is getting opportunities because he is able to bring in viewers.

“I don’t know why, but people like to see Brock Lesnar fighting. Because he talks a lot, because he’s huge, because he’s an entertaining guy. We have to understand that. We have to respect that.”

Saturday Notebook

-Jack Hermansson will replace Yoel Romero to fight Jacare Souza at UFC Fort Lauderdale on April 27. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Souza would receive a middleweight title shot if he wins.

-Aleksandar Rakic will fight Jimi Manuwa at UFC Stockholm on June 1.

In case you missed it

–NEW PODCAST: MMATorch Today with David McGrath and Davidson Baker talking Justin Gaethje, Khabib-Conor, Cormier-Lesnar, and more

–NEW PODCAST: MMA Scope with Cole Henry and Patrick Shaheen previewing BKFC 5, and who should replace Yoel Romero against Jacare

–ROUNDTABLE: Staff predictions for Artem Lobov vs. Jason Knight bare-knuckle fight

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