Former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos was scheduled to face former Strikeforce and K1 champ Alistair Overeem at UFC 160 on May 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Instead, thanks to an injury to Overeem, he'll be facing another former K1 champ, Mark Hunt.

Hunt is riding a four-fight UFC win streak with 3 TKOs. He's beaten Stefan Struve, Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell and Chris Tuchscherer. Dos Santos is coming off a title loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 155. Prior to that he successfully defended his belt against Frank Mir at UFC 146.

Dos Santos spoke to Brazil's Mundo da Luta TV program about the Hunt match-up and Tatame captured his remarks. Here's a very rough translation:

"I do not pick opponents, so for me it doesn't matter who I'll face. I just need to know a date to prepare for the opponent. When Overeem dropped out, the UFC quickly found an excellent opponent, because I can not wait for the fight. Overeem is not champion, is nothing. If he was champion, I would have waited.

"Mark is a very tough guy, beating strong opponents. I have to be very careful. He has been champion in K-1, faced the best in the world and won striking exchanges. I will work hard to be strategic."

He also had some choice words for Overeem:

"I think this guy is a joke. He's a big man when he's pumped up from taking 'the bomb' for the fight, and is talking a lot of nonsense. I have nothing to do with him. He can follow his own career and do what he thinks best. I'll follow mine and if one day we are collide and he does not have any problem, we will fight. "

Perhaps dos Santos will someday get his wish to face Overeem, but first he has to get past the very tough Mark Hunt.



