Thiago “Marreta” Santos (22-11) has officially signed with the PFL after 9 years with the UFC. His debut is being targeted for 2023 with no official opponent announced.
The Brazilian fighter has long been a staple in the UFC producing a record of 14-10 and is leaving as the #9 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. Throughout his time with the UFC, Thiago began as a middleweight before leaping to 205 in 2018 and firing off 3 straight wins (all stoppages), including one against eventual champion Jan Blachowicz.
From there Santos would receive a title shot against then reigning king Jon Jones where he would go all 5 rounds with the champion and become the first fighter to win a scorecard against Jones. While he came out with his pride, he suffered a major knee injury that would hamper his career for some time.
Unfortunately, this would set off a sequence of events that would lead him to a 1-5 record with his lone win coming in 2021 vs Johnny Walker. At 38 years old Santos still has the juice that made him a contender by evidence of his last fight against Jamahal Hill. It is uncertain which weight class he will fight in but more likely than not it will be at 205. While Santos didn’t want to leave the UFC on a loss, a change of scenery could be what he needs to revitalize his career.
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