Cured of Hepatitis B, Geronimo dos Santos Eagerly Anticipates UFC Debut

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Geronimo dos Santos was to have made his Octagon debut against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 153 but withdrew from the bout when pre-fight examinations revealed that the Brazilian heavyweight had hepatitis B.

After dedicating himself to an arduous treatment, the fighter was cleared in preliminary tests and is now close to making his debut with the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion a reality.

“I cannot wait to make a second test to confirm it and finally have this opportunity. I´m so anxious to fight against the best in UFC,” dos Santos [pictured: left] said.

“Mondragon’s” manager, Alex Davis, confirmed the news to Sherdog.com from Brazil.

"The preliminary tests indicated that he is free of hepatitis B. Mondragon underwent a very aggressive treatment. We'll have to do more tests to confirm the diagnosis and provide the [results] to the athletic commission here in Brazil. Once we confirm that he is cured, he will be released to [fight].” Davis said.

According the renowned Brazilian doctor Drauzio Varella, hepatitis B, unlike chronic hepatitis, is asymptomatic and treatment in most patients eliminates the virus and evolves into a permanent cure.