UFC legend Junior dos Santos shares how Mike Tyson decision ‘cost him $50k’

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Former UFC star Junior dos Santos says he is owed $50,000 by Mike Tyson after a comment from the boxing legend saw him stripped of a bonus payout for the manner in which he beat an opponent.

The Brazilian MMA star produced a memorable knockout blow to claim victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 160 back in May 2013.

Dos Santos' eye-catching spinning wheel kick to end the bout convinced UFC boss Dana White to hand him both the 'Fight of the Night' and 'Knockout of the Night' bonuses.

But, after Tyson's intervention, he claims he was later stripped of the latter and lost out on a five-figure sum in the process.

"Back in the day, Mike Tyson took from me $50,000 because of Dana White!" dos Santos told the Sun.

"When I fought Mark Hunt I had two Bonuses of the Night – Best Fight of the Night, and Best Knockout of the Night.

"And Mike Tyson was there watching the fight and at the press conference after the fights, Dana White said, 'Junior dos Santos has won two bonuses of the night. Best Fight of the Night, and Best Knockout of the Night.'

"But I was asking Mike Tyson and he told me to give the Knockout of the Night to somebody else!

"He said, 'Why give two bonuses to just one guy?' So he took away from me $50,000. So he owes me $50,000! He deprived me of that.

"But it was normal back then to have two bonuses on the night and sometimes some guys got three."

Should Junior dos Santos have been awarded Knockout of the Night at UFC 160? Have your say in the comments section.

He added: "The fight was really good I went three rounds with Mark Hunt and in the end I knocked him out with a spinning back kick. They should have given me the two bonuses. For me it was a lot, but for the UFC maybe not.

"It showed a lot the personality of Dana White because the UFC is so big and if Mike Tyson says someone else should get the Knockout of the Night, then the UFC should have given an extra bonus to someone else but still should have given me mine. They just took it away from me."

Former heavyweight champion dos Santos was released from the UFC earlier this year after a string of defeats since 2019.

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He knocked out Derrick Lewis in March of that year, but went on to lose in the first round to Francis Ngannou at the end of June.

Three more losses followed for the Brazilian in 2020, against Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane – all by TKO and all in the second round.

Dos Santos now appears in the All Elite Wrestling promotion alongside other former and current UFC stars including Andrei Arlovski, Jorge Masvidal and Paige VanZant.

Meanwhile, Tyson fought against Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match last year and will be in action again next February, though an opponent is yet to be confirmed.

  • Dana White
  • Mike Tyson
  • MMA
  • UFC

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