Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos boasts among the best striking skills in mixed martial arts (MMA) today.
But, when he returns to action this weekend (May 25, 2013) at UFC 160, he will face perhaps his stiffest test in the stand up department when he goes toe-to-toe against decorated former K-1 kickboxer Mark Hunt.
And while "Cigano" holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under submission specialist Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the hard-hitting Brazilian has yet to show off his grappling skills inside the Octagon, preferring to use his striking to get the job done.
That can all change at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night, according to "UFC Tonight" analyst Kenny Florian, who suggests that dos Santos' coaches should advise him to take the fight to the ground and avoid trading punches with "Super Samoan."
"Ken-Flo" feels that's a "dangerous" game to play for the former 265-pound champ.
His words:
"Mark Hunt can knock anybody out. His leaping left hook is as deadly of a technique as we've seen in the UFC. We may very well see Junior dos Santos revert to an offensive ground game. If I'm Junior dos Santos' coach, I'd say take Mark Hunt down, and don't trade with him, that's going to be too dangerous."
Hunt was in danger of missing his scheduled fight against dos Santos after an old arrest stranded him in New Zealand. After finally receiving his work visa earlier this week, Hunt made his way to "Sin City" and will now attempt to earn his fifth straight victory inside the Octagon.
But, will the time difference and jet lag -- one of Hunt's major concerns -- prevent the Kiwi from reaching his goal? Or will his heavy-hands get the job done for him against an equally lethal puncher in "Cigano" regardless of recent distractions?
Unless, of course, the scenarios mentioned above are neutralized with a ground-based gameplan.