Thiago Santos is a mixed martial artist from Brazil. As of 2021, he competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He turned pro in 2010 and before joining the UFC, he was a part of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2.
In September 2021, he was ranked No.5 in the Light Heavyweight rankings of the UFC.
Athlete Bio and Personal Life
Santos was born in Rio de Janeiro on January 7, 1984. He stands 6 feet 2 inches or 188 centimeters tall. His listed weight is 205 pounds or 93 kilograms. He has a reach of 76i inches. Santos currently competes in the light heavyweight division but has previously competed in the Middleweight and Welterweight Divisions.
He came from a poverty-stricken area of Rio and his father died shortly after he made his MMA debut. He is engaged to Yana Kunitskaya and the two have announced that they are expecting their first child together. Santos has a son from a previous relationship.
Santos was also a paratrooper in the Brazilian army.
Entry into MMA
Santos debuted in MMA in 2010. Before he was signed by the UFC, he had a record of 8-1. He played for Watch Out Combat, Senna Fight, and Spartan MMA before joining the UFC.
In 2013, it was announced that he was joining The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2. There, he defeated Gil Freitas and ended up on Team Werdum.
Even though he did not win The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2, Santos was still signed by the UFC and he debuted with them in August 2013.
The UFC
Santos’ first fight as a signed UFC player was on August 3, 2013. He fought with Cezar Ferreira and lost. He would later win against Ronny Markes. Other players, he faced include Uriah Hall, Andy Enz, Steve Bosse, Elias Theodorou, Nate Marquardt, Gerard Mousai, and more.
His latest bouts were against Johnny Walker, Aleksander Rakic, Glover Teixeira, Jon Jones, Jan Blanchowicz, and Eryk Anders. In addition to his wins, he has won a couple of Performance of the Night bonuses. In February 2018, he won a Fight of the Night Award. It was for his win against Anthony smith.
In July 2019, challenged Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Santos lost top jones in a split decision. The bout was held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mixed Martial Arts Record
Total: 31
Wins: 22
Wins by Knockout: 15
Wins by Submission: 1
Wins by Decision: 6
Losses: 9
Losses by Knockout: 3
Losses by Submission: 3
Losses by Decision: 3
