Nov 6, 2020
Healthy Santos ready to return against Teixeira
It has been more than a year since Thiago Santos came within one judges’ decision of capturing the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 239 against Jon Jones. During the bout, Santos suffered a torn left LCL, PCL, MCL, meniscus and a cracked tibia along with a partially torn right ACL. The long road back finally culminates in Saturday’s Fight Night main event bout against fellow former title challenger in Glover Teixeira.
It has been more than a year since Thiago Santos came within one judges’ decision of capturing the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 239 against Jon Jones.
During the bout, Santos suffered a torn left LCL, PCL, MCL, meniscus and a cracked tibia along with a partially torn right ACL.
The long road back finally culminates in Saturday’s Fight Night main event bout against fellow former title challenger in Glover Teixeira.
For Santos, getting healthy was as much a challenge for his body as it was for his mind.
“Everything was difficult, not only physically, but mentally,” Santos told TSN. “I went through some hard times, but now I feel one hundred percent.”
The 36-year-old says that it took a little while to feel comfortable in the gym and that it was a relief when he was finally able to do the things he could do before the injury.
“When I started training I was so afraid that someone was going to kick my knee and injure it again, mentally it was hard to get that confidence back again,” said Santos. “When I started to kick again, I had so many emotions, because I thought I was never going to be to kick like I did before. When I started to kick I felt so happy.”
Santos is also excited to get into the Octagon with a highly regarded fellow Brazilian opponent in Teixeira.
“He’s a legend absolutely, he’s a tough guy and still doing a good job,” said Santos. “I have all the respect for him and I’m happy to get to fight him. He’s a legend and a good guy, a tough guy. I’m sure it’s going to be a great fight.”
Santos has gone back to watch his split decision loss to Jones a few times and though there are many people that believe he won, the Brazilian has seen the result both ways.
“I’ve watched it two or three times and I understand why it was a split decision, because one time I watched it and thought, “I won that fight” and another time I watched it and thought, ‘no, I lost that fight,” said Santos. “It was so close, we can’t complain about the result.”
With two ranked former title challengers fighting in a main event, this bout looked on track to decide who would get the first shot at new light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. However, it appears as though that shot is going to be given to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Santos is not ready to close the book on the possibility of winning his way back into that title picture.
“I feel disappointed a little bit, honestly, but everything can change, the situation can change all of the time,” said Santos. “So my focus now is on Glover Teixeira, I need to win that fight and then after I can think about that. If he doesn’t have a contract, everything can change.”
During the bout, Santos suffered a torn left LCL, PCL, MCL, meniscus and a cracked tibia along with a partially torn right ACL.
The long road back finally culminates in Saturday’s Fight Night main event bout against fellow former title challenger in Glover Teixeira.
For Santos, getting healthy was as much a challenge for his body as it was for his mind.
“Everything was difficult, not only physically, but mentally,” Santos told TSN. “I went through some hard times, but now I feel one hundred percent.”
The 36-year-old says that it took a little while to feel comfortable in the gym and that it was a relief when he was finally able to do the things he could do before the injury.
“When I started training I was so afraid that someone was going to kick my knee and injure it again, mentally it was hard to get that confidence back again,” said Santos. “When I started to kick again, I had so many emotions, because I thought I was never going to be to kick like I did before. When I started to kick I felt so happy.”
Santos is also excited to get into the Octagon with a highly regarded fellow Brazilian opponent in Teixeira.
“He’s a legend absolutely, he’s a tough guy and still doing a good job,” said Santos. “I have all the respect for him and I’m happy to get to fight him. He’s a legend and a good guy, a tough guy. I’m sure it’s going to be a great fight.”
Santos has gone back to watch his split decision loss to Jones a few times and though there are many people that believe he won, the Brazilian has seen the result both ways.
“I’ve watched it two or three times and I understand why it was a split decision, because one time I watched it and thought, “I won that fight” and another time I watched it and thought, ‘no, I lost that fight,” said Santos. “It was so close, we can’t complain about the result.”
With two ranked former title challengers fighting in a main event, this bout looked on track to decide who would get the first shot at new light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. However, it appears as though that shot is going to be given to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Santos is not ready to close the book on the possibility of winning his way back into that title picture.
“I feel disappointed a little bit, honestly, but everything can change, the situation can change all of the time,” said Santos. “So my focus now is on Glover Teixeira, I need to win that fight and then after I can think about that. If he doesn’t have a contract, everything can change.”