Thiago Santos is a Brazilian

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

fighter currently competing in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

division. A professional competitor since 2007, Santos has formerly fought for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

and was a finalist in their Season Five Heavyweight Tournament.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Santos made his professional MMA debut in October 2007. He fought in a one night tournament against Shamil Abdurahimov at IAFC - Mayor's Cup 2009 and won via unanimous decision. He then went on to fight

Alexey Oleynik Aleksei Alexeyevich Oleinik (born June 25, 1977, as Oleksíy Oleksíyovych Olíynyk) is a Russian mixed martial artist and combat sambo fighter who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing in their heavyweight division. He beg ...

the same exact day and suffered the first loss of his career. He then rebounded from that loss by knocking out Geronimo dos Santos in the first round at Amazon Fight 3. After that fight he faced Ubiratan Marinho Lima and won via DQ at Amazon Fight 4.

Bellator

In April 2011,

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

announced that they have signed Santos and he will make his promotional debut on May 21, 2011, at

Bellator 45 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

against

Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts i ...

. If Santos is victorious then he will earn a spot in the Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament. Santos suffered an undisclosed injury, forcing him out of his Bellator debut. Santos was originally scheduled to face

Blagoi Ivanov Blagoy Ivanov (; born October 9, 1986) is a Bulgarian mixed martial artist and Sambo practitioner who is currently signed to the PFL, but on suspension due to testing positive to anabolic steroids. He previously competed for the Ultimate Fightin ...

in the opening round of the Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament at

Bellator 52 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

. Santos, however, was unable to travel from Brazil for the event and was replaced by

Zak Jensen ''The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights'' is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. In a press conference following ''UFC 98'', Dana White announced that filmin ...

. Santos faced

Josh Burns Josh Burns (born May 15, 1978) is an Americans, American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. Since 2022, he has competed for BYB Extreme Fighting Series, BYB Extreme. Burns currently competes for Bare Knuckle Fightin ...

Bellator 53 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

in a bout to determine the Heavyweight Tournament reserve fighter. He won the fight via submission in the first round. He was to face

in the semifinal of the tourney on October 29, 2011, at Bellator 56, after Mike Hayes was forced out of the tournament due to injury. Ivanov subsequently had to pull out of the bout due to an injury and was replaced by

Neil Grove Neil Grove (born 18 January 1971) is a South African-English Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, Grove has competed for the UFC, Bellator Cage Rage, UCMMA, and the SFL. Background Originall ...

. Santos won via submission in the first round. Santos faced

Eric Prindle Eric Prindle (born August 30, 1976) is an American Heavyweight mixed martial artist who last competed in 2018. A professional competitor since 2008 he has fought in Bellator MMA and Pancrase, and was the Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tourname ...

in the finals held at Bellator 59. The bout was ruled a No Contest after Santos kicked Prindle in the groin at 1:24 of the first round and Prindle was unable to continue. The two were scheduled to rematch at

Bellator 61 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

on March 16, 2012. However, on March 15, Bellator announced the fight had been pushed back a week to

Bellator 62 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

due to Prindle having "flu-like symptoms." A week later at the Bellator 62 weigh-ins, Santos weighed in 12 pounds overweight for the rescheduled rematch and the bout was called off. As a result of Santos' inability to make weight, Prindle was announced as the Season Five Heavyweight Tournament Winner. Santos competed Bellator Season Seven Heavyweight Tournament, and faced

in their long awaited rematch in the quarter-finals at

Bellator 75 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

on October 5. Santos became the recipient of a groin kick from Eric Prindle, and was unable to continue, winning by disqualification. In the semi-finals, Santos faced

Rich Hale Richard "Rich" Hale (born May 17, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division. A professional since 2006, he is perhaps best known for his 10-fight stint with Bellator MMA, and mad ...

at Bellator 79 on November 2, 2012. Despite rocking Hale early, Santos would lose via TKO at 3:31 in the first round. After nearly a year away from MMA, Santos returned to face promotional newcomer

Javy Ayala Javier "Javy" Ayala (born August 22, 1988) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has competed for Bellator and Tachi Palace Fights. Background Born and rai ...

Bellator 102 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. Santos lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

''The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3''

Santos was selected for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 along with 32 fighters for the preliminary fights to enter the house. He faced

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a con ...

in the preliminaries and despite the size advantage, he lost the fight via submission (guillotine choke) in the first round.

Independent promotions

Santos faced Geronimo dos Santos in a rematch at Roraima Show Fight 13 on November 9, 2014. Santos lost the fight via TKO in the first round, suffering his third consecutive loss by knockout or TKO. Santos faced Vinicius Lima at Face to Face 9 on December 20, 2014. He lost the fight via TKO due to punches in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from '' bellātor'', the Latin word for "warrior". Bellato ...

** Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament Runner-Up

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, , Wanderson Souza , TKO (punches) , XForce MMA 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

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Boa Vista, Roraima Boa Vista (, literally ''Good View''; figuratively "Fairview") is the capital of the Brazilian state of Roraima. Situated on the western bank of the Branco River, the city lies 109 km from Brazil's border with Venezuela, and 58 km away from t ...

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Visalia, California Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-most populous city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 38th most populous in California, and 183 ...

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, TKO (punches) , Bellator 79 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:31 ,

Rama, Ontario Chippewas of Rama First Nation, also known as Chippewas of Mnjikaning and Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation (, also alternatively Rama Anishinaabek), is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Ojibway) First Nations in Canada, First Nation located in t ...

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Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

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Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 56 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:38 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

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Miami, Oklahoma Miami ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area's economy to boom. This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Ubiratan Marinho Lima , DQ (illegal punches to the back) , AF: Amazon Fight 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:49 ,

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the north of B ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Geronimo dos Santos , KO (punches) , AF: Amazon Fight 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:35 ,

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Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and the Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 1,633,595, making it the most populous city in Siber ...

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Shamil Abdurakhimov Shamil Gentovich Abdurakhimov (born September 2, 1981) is a Russian former mixed martial artist, who competed in the heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Abdurakhimov was born on S ...

, Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Bruno Silva , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Delfim Brazuka Nocaute , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

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, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Marcelo Mendes , Submission (neck crank) , rowspan="3", RH: Rio Heroes 10 , rowspan="3", , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:40 , rowspan="3",

Osasco Osasco () is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, located in the Greater São Paulo area and ranking fifth in population among São Paulo municipalities. According to the IBGE 2015, Osasco currently has the ninth highest gross do ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Leonardo Guarabya , KO (punches) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Fabio Santos , TKO (submission to punches) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Santos, Thiago Brazilian male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Martial artists from Rio de Janeiro (city) 1986 births 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen