It’s been more than seven years since Leonardo Santos lost a fight. If that streak is going to continue tonight, it’ll have to come at the expense of another Brazilian.
And while Santos isn’t too keen on that now that he’s in the UFC, he also knows business is business. So he’ll just have to pretend like he’s back in the early days of his career in Brazil instead of in England.
Santos (15-3-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) opens up UFC 204 against Adriano Martins (28-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) tonight at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
“I wasn’t sure why I got booked against Adriano Martins, especially in England,” Santos told MMAjunkie. “I don’t like to fight Brazilians. But it’s part of our job. If you look at my career, that’s all I fought in the beginning. I was expecting a top-10 opponent, like Evan Dunham. But I’ll keep putting in the work. Sooner or later I’ll get there.”
Santos was supposed to fight Dunham in the spring, but a Dunham injury pushed their lightweight booking to UFC 199 in June. But then Santos got hurt, and there went the bigger-name opponent he’d been wanting.
Because of that fight falling through twice, Santos hasn’t been in the cage since this past December at UFC 194. But that fight was a big one. Santos knocked out Kevin Lee in the first round and picked up a $50,000 bonus for it.
“It was a tough fight,” he said. “Kevin Lee is someone who keeps getting better in the promotion. He was coming off a four-fight win streak in the UFC. I broke that win streak. I saw the opportunity. I saw the moment when I could land a solid strike. I know he likes to press forward. It’s the impetus of youth. I just waited for the right moment. I didn’t waste my chance.”
After winning “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2” more than three years ago, Santos hasn’t wasted many moments. He’s 3-0-1 since then – and should be thanking a shorts-grabbing infraction by Norman Parke for keeping him from his first loss since 2009. That docked point resulted in a majority draw instead of a decision loss.
But Santos said he’s put that disappointing performance behind him, and two and a half years and three wins later, things are different.
“I think it’s a matter of experience,” he said. “With time, you get used to things. The enormity of an MMA event can be overwhelming at first. I have my head in the right place. I’m very relaxed and I feel more at home each time I step into the octagon. It’s a matter of dedication, hard work, giving my best and having fun along the way. That’s what it takes nowadays.”
Martins has a three-fight winning streak of his own and has a trio of bonuses in his four UFC wins. Only a head-kick loss to Donald Cerrone serves as a blemish on his UFC record.
Martins is more than a 2-1 favorite in the fight, but Santos said he’s studied him, knows what to expect, and hopes a win over him will catapult him toward the lightweight top 10.
“I’ve already studied Adriano,” Santos said. “He’s very strong. He hits hard. He’s a lefty. I’ll put emphasis on my game. I’ll force him into jiu-jitsu. I know he’s good on the ground. I’ll keep an eye on his left hand, since he’s strong, fast and aggressive. He’s tough and experienced. It will be a great fight.
“My goal is to be in the top 10. I don’t know the criteria used by the UFC, but with another victory, I’ll get in there, for sure. I’m just looking to enjoy myself and do my job. Anything else is a consequence of that. Ours is one of the most packed weight classes, so it’s hard to stand out. I’ll just keep doing what I enjoy, which is fighting.”
For more on UFC 204, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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