Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos was beaten to a pulp by current titleholder Cain Velasquez at UFC 166 earlier this month, but he is not convinced it was a statement win for his Mexican-American foe.

JDS knocked out Velasquez early into their November 2011 encounter, but was dominated in their subsequent two matchups.

Nevertheless, “Cigano” believes that he is still on the short list of heavyweight contenders and he could still take Velasquez in a fourth fight if it came down to it.

Check out what JDS told Tatame (translation via mixedmartialarts.com):

“I still consider myself one of the main challengers to the title. He showed that he had an effective strategy to win the fight, looking to play it safe while not taking many chances to show he was the better fighter, blocking my punches in a way that is typical of wrestlers.”

“He applied pressure, grabbing hold of me and avoiding the fight, making the fight boring, making the audience boo a lot. An effective strategy to win, but he didn't prove he was the better fighter.”

An awfully bold claim from the Brazilian slugger, considering that Velasquez left his face a bloody and bruised mess, dropped him standing and eventually finished the fight via TKO.

Whether or not he could ever work his way back up to another title shot with Velasquez seated atop the division is anyone’s guess, but either way, he is a top talent with wins over Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Gabriel Gonzaga, Frank Mir and Mark Hunt.

Could JDS really still give Velasquez a run for his money or did the champion’s clear-cut victory earlier this month close the book on their feud for good?