Best and Worst from UFC Fight Night 145: Blachowicz vs. Santos
The UFC’s European shows are always quite low on hype and UFC Fight Night 145 – the promotion’s first show from the Czech Republic – was really flying under the radar thanks to its awkward position on the calendar, sandwiched between the UFC’s first show on the ESPN network and 2019’s biggest pay-per-view thus far in the form of UFC 235.
It was hard therefore for people to care about fights like Stefan Struve vs. Marcos Rogerio De Lima and Liz Carmouche vs. Lucie Pudilova, but in the end, the show wasn’t too bad at all. Sure, some of the fights were slower – Magomed Ankalaev vs. Klidson Abreu comes to mind – but there was a lot to like too, most notably the main event.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC Fight Night 145: Blachowicz vs. Santos.
#1 Best: Santos closing in on a title shot – and it’s a good thing
Ever since his UFC debut back in 2013, Thiago ‘Marreta’ Santos has garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting, aggressive fighters to watch in the whole sport, and the proof is in his record – in 17 UFC fights prior to last night he’d gone the distance just 3 times. But he’d also garnered a reputation as a glass cannon, a fighter who was just as likely to fold under his opponent’s offense than put them away with his own.
Seemingly though, those self-destructive tendencies have vanished with his move to 205lbs. I feared for ‘Marreta’ against Jan Blachowicz due to the Pole’s crisp jab, ground skills but most notably his durability, as he’d never been KO’d or TKO’d in 30 professional fights. Well, that run ended violently last night as Santos took him out in a rush early in the third round.
It was hugely impressive, particularly because Santos didn’t actually come flying out the gates, and seemingly allowed Blachowicz to settle into a bit of a rhythm, working out exactly what he had to offer before actually taking the Pole out with a clean counter punch. If anything, it was Blachowicz who got too wild, and he paid the price.
Santos is now 3-0 at 205lbs and in a thin division filled with prospects and ageing stars, there’s an argument for giving him the next title shot – particularly as Anthony Smith, who Santos beat at 185lbs in 2018, is fighting for the title next week. Impressively, Jon Jones appears to be a fighting champion willing to take on all comers – and Santos could definitely be next. If he is, he deserves it, as he’s consistently been exciting to watch and has never been the type to quibble over opponents or money. In essence, he’s the kind of fighter the UFC needs.