Jason Herzog is the referee. Santos rushes forward with a front
kick that Naimov evades with ease. Naimov with a hard low kick.
Santos answers with a solid leg kick of his own. Both men are
deliberate to start. Santos just misses on a head kick. Santos
catches a kick and backs his foe into the fence. Naimov fires back.
Santos counters a low kick and makes Naimov stumble momentarily
with a straight right. Naimov kicks the body and then has a shot
denied. Santos kicks the body. A high kick by Santos slams of
Naimov’s forearm. Naimov shoots and they collide in the clinch.
Santos indicates a clash of heads and Herzog calls time. It’s a
brief respite and they resume in the clinch. Naimov grinds his man
into the wire, and Santos slaps his back, almost out of annoyance.
Santos is able to turn Naimov around briefly, but he loses the
advantage. The featherweights finally separate with about 30
seconds to go and Naimov just misses the mark on a spinning wheel
kick. Santos fires a jumping switch kick off his foe’s arms at the
horn. Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Santos opens with a hard leg kick. They tie up in the center of the
Octagon, and Santos secures a body lock. He can’t trip Naimov to
the mat, but he does shove his foe into the fence. Naimov spins
away and presses Santos into the cage. The slow-paced clinch battle
has resumed, and Santos goes back to slapping the back of his foe.
Santos is frustrated, and he feigns yawning as Naimov grinds away.
They separate with about 3:00 remaining. Santos leaps in with a
jab. A low kick by Santos makes Naimov stumble. Naimov changes
levels but is stuffed and eats an uppercut from Santos for his
efforts. Santos follows up with another solid low kick. They
collide in the clinch and Santos lands a pair of knees to the
midsection. Santos follows a jab with a right to the body. Naimov
fires off a standing side kick to the head, but it’s a glancing
blow. Naimov shoots again, but he eats a knee in the clinch.
They’re back at range, and Naimov misses a spinning back kick
before the horn. Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Santos

There’s some handfighting early, and then Naimov tries to counter a
leg kick from his Brazilian foe. His decision to engage comes back
to haunt him, however, as Santos answers with a clean 1-2
combination — and the right hand sends Naimov to the canvas instantly. Santos
pounces and unloads a few follow-up shots on the ground before
Herzog can intervene. While this victory is marred by
a weight miss, “The Legend” is now 4-0 in the Octagon. Santos
apologizes for the infraction, blaming it on a “miscalculation that
won’t happen again.”

Up at lightweight, Yusuff (13-4, 6-3 UFC) searches for a new lease
on life without having to cut so much weight. He will try to put
his first losing streak behind him when he battles “The Legend”
Santos (15-1, 2-0 UFC), who also wants to relieve the bad taste of
his previous outing—even though he won. Because of bad news for the
Craig vs. Bellato fight, this is the co-main event now. Fists are
sure to fly, and they do not want to touch gloves while referee
Kerry Hatley watches on. Santos is in the middle of the cage,
advancing behind his jab, while Yusuff circles all the way around
him. Santos pushes out a front kick, and a second before Yusuff
spurs into action with a slapping calf kick. They clash their legs
together, and Santos continues front kicking until jumping with a
switch kick that clatters off the raised gloves. Yusuff winds up
with an inside low kick that grazes the cup, and Santos frowns but
does not ask for a timeout. Santos delivers a quick high kick up to
the guard, and Yusuff responds with a one-two and a calf kick.
Santos reach out with a right hand, and Yusuff tries and fails to
check the subsequent low kick offering. Santos checks a calf kick
and pitches an inside kick to the lead leg, ducking away from a
pair of punches and putting his fist on the shoulder of his foe.
Santos checks another kick, and he scoots back to dodge a jab to
the midsection and comes up top with a head kick that is blocked.
Yusuff stands in the pocket and nails Santos with a left and a
right, and he plants his shin on the inside of the Brazilian’s
thigh. Yusuff ducks under a right hand and considers a takedown,
but Santos pushes him away before it can materialize. Santos splits
the guard with a jab, ignoring the feints and fakes and sticking
out another that throws Yusuff off-balance. Yusuff shoots for a
takedown, absorbs a flush spinning back kick to the ribs, and jumps
back to his feet faster to go after a single-leg entry. Santos
hacks at him with elbows to the side of the dome, thwarting the
takedown but not getting off the fence. Yusuff knees him sternly in
the sternum, and he lets the Brazilian jump at him at the bell. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

The second round begins with head kicks from both men. Santos’
lands cleanly, cutting open the corner of the eye of his adversary,
and he beats Yusuff to the punch with a jab and a one-two up top.
Yusuff jabs but does not commit to it, as Santos springs back and
forth and does not stay settled for long. Yusuff winds up on a long
right hand, and when that misses, he boots the Brazilian in the
body. Yusuff chambers and fires a heavy low kick, and he is jabbed
back. Santos connects with a right and a left, and his one-two
rings Yusuff’s bell. Santos’ leg kick knocks Yusuff off his feet,
and Yusuff climbs back upright and walks into a front kick. “Super
Sodiq” shoots for a double-leg takedown, and Santos turns him
around with ease, his strikes further shredded open a cut on
Yusuff’s eyebrow while also bloodying his nose. Santos turns Yusuff
around, bopping him with shoulder strikes when there is nothing
else to offer. Santos gets in a knee or two, and he is smacked in
the back of the head a few times. Hatley warns Yusuff, and they
continue to jockey for position in the tie-up. Hatley asks Santos
to do more, and he answers by slashing out with an elbow to break
free. Yusuff takes it flush and circles away, probing with a front
kick while trying to manage his range. Santos times a spin to
deliver a punch that inadvertently lands in the back of the head,
and they both plant their feet and bust one another in the chops
with fierce right hands. Yusuff recovers first and slaps his foe’s
front leg with a kick, but it is one-and-done as he backpedals.
Santos jumps to no avail, but he spins with a wheel kick that bangs
into the side of the head as the horn blows. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Yusuff flashes his jab to start the final frame, and Santos greets
him with a chopping kick. Yusuff follows his man around, although
little comes from it other than walking through a couple jabs and
getting a low kick checked. Santos stutter-steps in with a right
hand that drills Yusuff on the chin, and Yusuff is rough and tumble
and keeps powering forward. Yusuff jabs out with a front kick, and
he tries to lash out with an elbow but Santos is out of the way.
Yusuff lands a pair of low kicks that make the Brazilian
preemptively lift his leg up, and he throws two more to the same
spot as a slight limp develops. Yusuff spins himself all the way
around when missing with another kick, but he lands and score one
more. Santos shrugs them all off and cracks Yusuff with a right
hand, but the leg kicks continue to mount. Yusuff fakes one low to
go high, but the Brazilian sees them coming and wraps a kick up
high. Yusuff darts forward with a left hand that collides with the
raised guard, and he shoots for a takedown that he nearly
completes. As if he had springs on his shorts, Santos bounces off
the floor and back to his feet. Yusuff backs him to the fence while
still looking for a single, and Santos slaps him hard in the back.
The sound of these slaps echo in the Apex, as he continues slapping
the aggressor anywhere he can land them. Santos slaps Yusuff in the
side of the head and turns Yusuff around, and he breaks off with an
uppercut. Santos jabs with his foot, and Yusuff comes up short with
a head kick. Santos chains a low kick into two body kicks, the
second leaping, and the third round comes to a close. Santos shouts
loudly to let out anything he has left, likely confident that he
did enough to get the job done. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos) Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff (29-28 Yusuff) Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27
Santos)

From one Santos to another we go (no relation), as the
self-proclaimed “Legend” Santos (14-1, 1-0 UFC) tries to go for two
in a row in the Octagon. To prevail, he will need to put out “Fire”
Marshall (8-2, 2-2 UFC). The featherweights will be joined by
referee Chris Tognoni, who clocks them as they elect not to touch
gloves. Santos lunges forward with a front kick, and Marshall slips
out of the way and beans him with a right hand over the top that
stuns Santos. Santos tries to go one-for-one with his opponent, and
Marshall sweeps him off his feet with a powerful calf kick.
Marshall shoots in from a distance for a takedown, and the
Brazilian skirts out of the way to get back to the center of the
cage. When Santos gets off a leg kick, Marshall clips him with a
left hand that stumbles him but does not put him down. Santos
chambers and fires a low kick, knocking Marshall to his seat for a
second. Marshall springs back up and darts in with a one-two, and
he scores a leg kick and checks one coming back his way. Marshall
backs off with a short combination as Santos bears down on him, and
he lashes out with a right hand that just grazes off the chin. When
Santos attacks a low kick, Marshall’s counter is primed and ready
to fire. Marshall clips Santos with it, and Santos gets back in his
face and clubs him with a right hand on the temple. Marshall’s
success prompts the fans to cheer “USA” for him until he gets his,
and then the chants die down. Marshall gets back to it with a few
long punches, only to get chopped at with a leg kick. Marshall
gives him one back to think about, and rolls with a booming right
hand that bangs into the side of his head. Santos lets loose a leg
kick, and Marshall shoots in with a telegraphed takedown and is met
with an uppercut. Marshall winds up with a left hand and knocks
“The Legend” to the canvas, and he immediately is faced with a
takedown attempt. Marshall fights out of it to get to the side
while Santos is trying to stand, and he beats on him on the side of
the dome. Santos leans himself against the fencing, and Marshall
drops in a few more right hands until the horn sounds. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall

The fighters race towards one another to start off the second
round, with Marshall looking for his jab early. Santos slaps one
away and pops Marshall in the chops with his own. When Santos is
faking low kicks, Marshall gets tired of reacting to them and
smacks the Brazilian in the face with a left hand. Santos lunges at
him with a left hook, and Marshall parries it and cannot get out of
the way of two leg kicks, although he partially checks the second.
Marshall scoops in a left uppercut when Santos leaves his guard
down, and he rails a right hand around the guard to sting Santos.
When Santos backpedals, Marshall chases him down and lands a few
punches on his foe’s guard. Marshall disengages, and he tries to
time a counter but is beaten to the punch by a leaping Santos.
Marshall uses his jab to disallow Santos from loading up, and he
swats away a front kick to catch his man with a left. The third
strike in a combination from Santos busts up Marshall’s nose, which
is firmly leaking at this point. Santos slaps a few low kicks in
when there is a lull in the action, and Marshall springs into
action with a big left hook that brushes past his intended target.
Marshall rushes forward with a tackling takedown, taking Santos off
his feet and drifting past Santos when the first try fails.
Marshall grips Santos from behind and clasps his hands around the
waist, kicking Santos’ feet out from underneath him a few times
when Santos scampers back upright. Marshall grinds his adversary
against the wire, looking for trips until Santos turns around.
Marshall considers going after a single-leg takedown, but Santos
uses a knee shield to push Marshall away from him and force a
separation. Santos lets fly a head kick, and Marshall shrugs it off
and blocks another from the other side right before the bell. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall

The featherweights clap hands to get going in the last stanza, with
Santos again in the center of the cage looking for leg kicks.
Marshall spurs himself into action with three clubbing punches,
only to back away when Santos is on him with power. Marshall sneaks
a right hand in around the guard, and he slips away before Santos
can bear down on him. Marshall intercepts an advancing Santos with
a stiff jab, and he continues moving so Santos cannot trap him.
Marshall leans forward and unleashes a right hand from an odd
angle, and he dances out of harm’s way as Santos’ volume has
diminished fairly significantly. Santos gets off two punches, but
Marshall is elusive and throws back three. The Brazilian absorbs a
left hand on the chin when coming forward despite his guard pinned
to his jab, and Marshall is slicker and quicker. Santos tries to
step in with a knee, and it is a few feet away from a moving
Marshall. Marshall sits down on a handful of punches, ignoring what
comes back his way and checking a leg kick. Marshall is in and out
with a jab, slipping strikes and peppering “The Legend” with
offense. Santos is one-and-done with a power overhand right, and he
jabs out with a front kick off the midsection. Marshall thumps the
front leg with a kick, and he turns his head out of the way of a
right hand after completing his own combo. Santos stands firm and
plants his fists on Marshall’s chin, and Marshall does not like
this and shoots. Santos tries to roll with it, but Marshall
smothers him and puts him flat on his back with 25 seconds
remaining on the clock. Marshall resides in the closed guard, with
Santos swatting at him with his hands that have nothing on them.
Before Marshall can get off much ground-and-pound, time expires to
conclude the pairing. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27 Marshall) Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27 Marshall) Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Marshall (30-27
Marshall)

Team Grasso placed not one but two competitors in the finals of the
145-pound tournament on this season of the reality show. Ofli
(11-2-1, 0-0 UFC) qualified for the six-figure match by throttling
Roedie Roets with a guillotine, while Santos (13-1, 0-0 UFC)
surpassed replacement Guillermo Torres in a close three-round
encounter to reach it himself. There is nothing left but the
particulars issued by referee Chris Tognoni, and the cage door
locks behind them. The former teammates touch ‘em up, and Ofli
wades forward into combat only to get popped with a greeting card
of a right hand from Santos. Ofli responds with a jump knee and
grabs hold of the Brazilian’s leg to take him down, and Santos
splits away from that attempt without concern. Santos clips his foe
on the way in with a right hand, and he lifts up a knee to catch
Ofli on the side of the head. Ofli walks him down fearlessly, and
he goes to a knee in pursuit of a takedown. Ofli is stood up, so he
lands a few knees on the inside. Ofli grinds, and Santos does not
appear concerned as his back is squeezed against the wire. Santos
ignores a few knees to nail Ofli on the cheek with an elbow,
forcing an immediate separation. Santos jabs with a front kick, and
he doubles up on his jab to follow. Santos splits the guard with a
jab, and he blasts the front leg with a kick that nearly takes Ofli
off his feet. Ofli responds with a right hand over the top, and he
is met with a right-hand counter. Santos pushes out his front kick
again to great effect, and a slow but methodical one-two finds its
home. A power calf kick from the Brazilian succeeds in taking Ofli
off his feet, and he stands back to let Ofli get back up. Ofli
absorbs another low kick that he does not like, and he runs forward
and is met with a knee that glances off his chin. Ofli dodges a
right hook by a whisker, and he scores a trio of punches to back
Santos off momentarily. Santos prods out with two straight right
hands, and he jumps at his foe with a switch knee. Ofli lets him
land and knocks him away with a counter right. The round ends with
Santos scoring a head kick. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Santos

The pace picks up where it left off, with Santos the aggressor
firing off kicks and punches that Ofli cannot defend. Ofli fires
back his own leg kick, and he is caught on the way in with a left
but still manages to jam Santos against the fence for a second.
Santos circles away and returns to the middle of the cage, and he
walks through a body kick and attacks with a jump switch kick. The
front kick from Santos is money in the bank, and he strings a
Superman punch behind it to further fluster Ofli. Santos jabs and
connects with a cross, and Ofli marches forward loaded for bear. When he sees Ofli loading up, “The Legend” lashes out with a
looping right that skims the target and follows with a tremendous
left hand that separates Ofli from his senses. The lights go out
for Ofli, who drops to his knees totally unconscious. Before he
falls face-first to the canvas, Santos is on him with two painful
yet academic right hands to seal the deal. Tognoni
wrenches Santos off the unconscious Ofli when he sees that Ofli is
in dreamland, and Ofli faceplants having lost control of his
faculties. While history’s Genghis Khan likely died due to an
illness, “Genghis Kaan” was slain—figuratively speaking, of
course—by a vicious left hook from a former teammate. That is a way
to make a statement to the company, with Santos announcing himself
to everyone that will be a factor moving forward. He is the latest
featherweight victor of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and ring girl
Brookilyn Wren is the one to hand him his trophy with UFC chief
Dana White nowhere in sight. The triumphant Santos declares that he
is the new Alex Pereira, while saying he plans on becoming a
champion like interviewer Michael Bisping.

Mairon Santos

Fight History

Fighter Skills Radar

Key Insights

Striking Profile

Key Insights

Grappling Profile

Key Insights

Conclusions Summary