Eagle FC has swooped in and signed another former big time UFC fighter. This time, it’s a former UFC heavyweight champion. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was informed by Khabib Nurmagomedov that his promotion has signed an exclusive deal with Junior Dos Santos (21-9).
The former heavyweight champion has been trying to decide where to go for some time now after his UFC release. Eagle FC came in with a nice offer and JDS has signed on the dotted line and his first fight is already lined up.
Dos Santos will make his Eagle FC debut in May when he takes on another UFC veteran in Yorgan De Castro (8-3). De Castro was introduced to fans via Dana White’s Contender Series when he debuted as an undefeated prospect.
In his first UFC fight, he scored a huge knockout over Justin Tafa. However, after that fight, he lost three in a row leading him to not be resigned by the UFC. After one victory, Eagle FC signed him and he won his debut with them back in January.
Eagle FC Outlook
JDS signing with Eagle FC is definitely going to give them more eye balls with US fans. The former heavyweight champion is far removed from his prime, however, he still does carry a decent following of fans.
When Dos Santos debuts in May, he’s going to be looking to snap a four-fight losing streak. Prior to this losing streak, JDS looked like he was going to make another run towards the UFC heavyweight title.
However, that run fell off a cliff and he was ultimately released by the UFC late in 2020. Now, after having some time off he was ready to get back into the cage and Eagle FC was excited to bring him aboard.
I’ll be very interested to see how JDS looks when he makes his debut. It’s a solid matchup and another decent pairing for Khabib’s promotion as he tries to expand their US fan base.