Thiago Santos is facing a tall order Saturday when he takes on Jon Jones for the UFC’s light heavyweight title, and thinks now is the perfect time to challenge for the belt.
Santos has the opportunity of a lifetime when he headlines UFC 239 against Jones for the light heavyweight championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He said the ups and downs he’s faced throughout his MMA career are what brought him here.
“All my fights up to this point were very important – not just the wins, but also the losses,” Santos told MMA Junkie. “They helped me mature, to see where I was going wrong. Everything happened at the right time, as God willed it. It all brought and prepared me for this moment. I feel very ready. Everyone will be surprised.”
Jones, minus a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill, has yet to be beaten in his MMA career. And while Santos knows dethroning him will be no easy task, he believes he’ll be the one to do it.
“Jon Jones is … Jon Jones,” Santos said. “He’s a phenomenal fighter. Without a doubt, he’s one of the best in the world. He’s managed to beat great fighters with a certain ease. But no one is unbeatable. Everyone has their moment. Now is my moment.
“This is the best phase in my career. I know it’s going to be a difficult fight. It’s going to be hard, but I have faith in the fact that I have what it takes to beat Jon Jones.”
Santos (21-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC) has been training at American Top Team, home of women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes, interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and an abundance of top contenders.
He admitted it was difficult to find someone who mirrors Jones’ style but is confident in his preparation.
“It’s hard to find someone like Jon Jones,” Santos said. “He’s very unique. That’s a challenge. We have some training partners who can at least come close. I start out my camp in Brazil, and finish things up at American Top Team. Everything is going quite well.”
The former middleweight is enjoying great success at light heavyweight with stoppage wins over Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz. While the goal is to make history, he doesn’t rule out a move back down to 185 pounds in the future.
“My goal is to win the light heavyweight belt and defend it,” Santos said. “But I’m still open to dropping back down to middleweight to capture that belt.”
Hailing from the “City of God,” Santos holds pride in representing his Rio de Janeiro roots. Growing up in Brazil was a struggle and he would love nothing more than to win the belt and give back to his city.
“Besides that, I’d like to set up a nonprofit organization to help needy youngsters from poor communities in Brazil,” Santos said. “Things are very difficult for them here in Brazil.”
The road to UFC 239 hasn’t been easy, and Santos is grateful for the opportunity. This Saturday, he gets a chance to shock the world.
“I’m very happy with this opportunity,” Santos said. “As a kid, I even made ends meet by collecting cardboard. I went through a lot of difficulties. Today, I’m in a biggest organization in the world, fighting against the best. I’m very thankful for that. I’m also very thankful for the love from my fans. On (Saturday), I’ll do everything in my power to bring the belt home, God willing.”
For more on UFC 239, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
