Personal Information
Full Name | Thiago Santos de Lima |
Date of Birth | January 7, 1984 |
Nationality | Brazil |
Height | 6' 2" |
Thiago Santos Fighter: A Brief Biography
Thiago Santos de Lima is a Brazilian MMA fighter, also known as Marreta or The Sledgehammer,
currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of UFC. A black belt in both Muay Thai and
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as a Green rope in Capoeira, he has also been a middleweight and
welterweight previously.
Early Life and Career
Before coming to MMA, Thiago Santos was already an expert in capoeira and was also a member of
the Brazilian army paratrooper squad. In 2010, he made his MMA debut and amassed an impressive
record of 8 wins and only 1 loss.
In 2013, Thiago Santos was announced to be a part of the cast of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2. He
went till the quarterfinals after winning against Pedro Irie in the elimination round. In the quarters,
he lost against the eventual winner Leonardo Santos via unanimous decision.
Career at UFC
Despite not coming out as a winner, he was signed by UFC after the tournament. However, he lost
on his debut match against the inaugural winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Cezar Ferreira via
submission. But he went on to claim some important wins against the likes Andy Enz, Elias
Theodorou, Nate Marquardt, Steve Bosse and Jack Marshman. Winning the last two bouts won him
Performance of the Night bonus. He also defeated Anthony Smith and Eryk Anders that won him
Fight of the Night bonus.
Current Status
Thiago Santos is expected to face-off against Jan Blachowicz on February 23, 2013 at UFC Fight Night
145. His current MMA record stands at 20-6.