‘Cigano’ Has Fan in Carwin’s Corner

When Junior dos Santos (Pictured; file photo) meets Shane Carwin in the UFC 131 headliner on Saturday at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he will have at least one admirer in his opponent’s corner. In just six UFC appearances, all of them victories, Dos Santos (12-1, 6-0 UFC) has emerged as one of the world’s premier heavyweights. He features a unique brand of boxing, blending technique, power and speed together into a beautiful but terrible tapestry. Trevor Wittman, who trains Carwin at the Grudge Training Center in Wheat Ridge, Colo., has long respected the Brazilian’s handiwork. “Dos Santos is fast-handed and the most precise puncher in the heavyweight division,” Wittman told Sherdog.com. “He throws very good combinations and moves his head really well. Dos Santos is a master at what he does.” A longtime training partner of Brazilian great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Dos Santos will enter the cage on the strength of a seven-fight winning streak. The 26-year-old has secured eight of his 12 career victories by knockout or technical knockout, including finishes against 2006 Pride Fighting Championships open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, the world-ranked Fabricio Werdum, 6-foot-11 Dutchman Stefan Struve and onetime UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga. At UFC 117 in August, former International Fight League heavyweight champion Roy Nelson became the first man ever to go the distance with Dos Santos. He has ended 10 fights inside one round. “His boxing is very good,” Wittman said. “He throws very good strong shots and places them where they need to go. He packs a really good punch, but you don’t have to have all the power in the world when you can put it anywhere you want. I’m a huge fan of his.”