Interviews
EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Blenda Dos Santos
“You can’t leave your cell, you can’t eat whatever you want, you can’t do anything, and when that moment happens in your life, it teaches you a lot, and it taught me that I can do better things than sleep in a cell with murderers.”
On May 15, at the AO Arena in Manchester, an undisclosed number, Daniel Blenda Dos Santos, will enter the ring to face British fan favorite Joshua Buatsi.
Dos Santos is not a familiar name to British boxing fans, but the man’s story is inspiring. When asked to inform the public about his origins, his initial answer was plain:
“I have been a professional player since 2016. I previously served in the French army for three years and was also in prison for three and a half years,” the lightweight heavyweight fighter told proboxing-fans.com.
Just two sentences and so many unanswered questions. Digging further, the Frenchman continued.
“I’ve had a lot of trouble in my life. I’m not a celebrated athlete, many people don’t know me, but I’m developing in this sport. I dedicate myself 100% to my work and I hope that this fight will be a chance for me to be a real professional fighter.”
Throughout our conversation on Matchroom Boxing media Zoom, Dos Santos claimed he wanted to become a “real professional fighter,” by which he meant a full-time athlete.
The Army was the catalyst for “Panthere”‘s boxing career after he served his country.
“I was in the French national team for three years, it was a great experience.
“The army was like a modern life for me because I come from northern France and in this place it’s very hard not to get into trouble, and I’ve had problems since I was a child.
“The military really saved my life.”
However, neither the army nor boxing provided enough discipline to spare the 30-year-old a prison sentence.
“I wasn’t in gigantic trouble, I was in trouble, yes, but I didn’t commit any crime. I was just a guy from the ghetto who did bad things.
“I wasn’t a gangster at that point, so I made the decision to join the army to have a good path. Unfortunately for me, after three years of military service in my ghetto, very gigantic problems arose and they put me in prison.
“After that moment my life changed, I felt really bad, I made gigantic mistakes in my life and thank God boxing changed my life and I retired from the streets.”
After leaving prison, Dos Santos devoted his life to the sport of boxing. I was intrigued by what made me leave the streets and what did Daniel learn from his time in prison?
“First of all, be a nice guy, because prison in France is hard. You can’t leave your cell, you can’t eat what you want, you can’t do nothing, and when that moment happens in your life, it teaches you a lot, and it taught me that I can do better things than sleep in cells with murderers.
“I was also a bad guy because I was in prison with those guys, so I was a bad guy too, and at that moment I realized I didn’t want to be that guy anymore.
“I can do more than just stay in a cell or be a bad guy or go to jail. This is not good for me and my family.”
Daniel feels that he was a product of his environment blaming the “ghetto” and “streets” for his time in prison.
“Because of where I come from, where I come from. Where I come from is a hard city, a really hard city. Lots of drug dealers, people robbing banks, killing people, really tough town.
“When I decided to leave the ghetto and join the army, some people saw me as a traitor and put me in history when I wasn’t in it, and that history put me in prison.
“I went back to my street, did some bad things and then spent three and a half years in prison. But this is life. Many bad choices have put me in this situation, but from the bottom of my heart I would not want to do such things.
Dos Santos described boxing as “strenuous but fun,” while for him the key to success in life is the army. A man who clearly takes pride in serving his country.
“For me it’s the army. The army really changed my life. The army is the best thing that can happen to you in life because you are fighting for your country. You can die for your country. You can kill for your country if war breaks out.
“For me, the army is one of the best things that happened to me in my life.”
On this Saturday night, his chances of victory have already been taken away from the French fighter by the boxing fraternity, but it is a chance that offers more than just victory for Daniel Blenda Dos Santos.
“For me it’s a lot of things… like I said, before I got into trouble, I made a lot of bad choices. I got out of prison and changed my life 100%, I started a family, I have two handsome children, I have a handsome wife, I live near Paris, near my ghetto.
“This fight shows that if you want to change your life, you can do it, because then I can do whatever I want if I win.
“If I have a great performance, it will mean everything. After this fight, I can be a real professional fighter and people will say: “this guy deserves to be in the first place in the hardest fights” – that’s what I’m counting on.
“I’m here and I’m grateful for the promotions at Matchroom, to all my team who put me here and helped me when I was low, and now will support me be a better person in a better place.”
Daniel Dubois believes that Tyson Fury will return to the ring and claims that a fight between them may happen.
Fury ended hopes of All-British fights against the likes of Dubois and long-time rival Anthony Joshua after retiring last Monday, less than a month after his second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
However, “Dynamite” believes that his compatriot will return in a similar mood as when he retired in April 2022, only to return seven months later.
If the “Gypsy King” ends his final retirement, Dubois insists the fight with Joshua must happen, which has opened the door for him to face the winner.
“I think he will definitely come back,” said the 27-year-old talkSPORT.
“He’s always done that throughout his career, mind games and all that.
“So I think he will come back. He plays various characters. He will definitely come back.
“Get them in the ring [Joshua and Fury].
“I want to see them fight now.
“I punched Joshua so he had to fight Fury.
“I want to see what’s left between these two.
“And then maybe I’ll fight the winner.”
The Londoner knocked out “AJ” five rounds in September at Wembley Stadium and on February 22 in Riyad, he will defend the IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker.
Dubois stormed the ring after Usyk’s rematch victory over Fury, calling for a rematch from their August 2023 clash.
The Londoner’s argument for wanting a rematch is based on a controversial low blow in the fifth round of the fight against the Ukrainian, which he believed was a legal shot.
“Usyk, I want to take revenge,” he said.
“Good job tonight.
“I want revenge for the last robbery.
“Let’s sort this out. Let’s go.
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
Daniel Dubois sends a message to Tyson Fury after his retirement
“Anthony Joshua is finished and I would love to withdraw him,” says his rival
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