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Yes, despite still being a respected high-level fighter on the UFC roster, Thiago Santos recently left the organization. The Brazilian is said to be joining the PFL after signing a multi-fight deal with the rival MMA company.
The departure is seemingly friendly, with Santos' manager Alex Davis telling ESPN that the separation was amicable and that the light-heavyweight contender was grateful for the years he spent with the UFC:
It was an amicable separation with the UFC. Thiago is very grateful for everything the UFC did for him, and he’s very grateful toward the PFL for signing with him. He’s looking forward to winning a million dollars.
Thiago Santos is a former UFC title challenger, but has recently struggled to find his winning form in the organization. The Brazilian lost five out of his last six fights under the UFC banner, but was still a tough opponent for his rivals in the organization.
'Marreta' will make his first appearance in the PFL next year, with Santos joining the light-heavyweight tournament where he has the ability to win a prize purse of $1 million dollars. It's unlikely that the deal was 100% money motivated, with the Brazilian having big UFC fights in the past against Jon Jones, Jan Błachowicz and Glover Teixeira. But given his recent record, perhaps Santos just needs a change of scenery to reignite his winning ways.
Watch Santos challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light-heavyweight title here:
When did Thiago Santos make his UFC debut?
Thiago Santos had a poor start to life in the UFC, losing to Cezar Ferreira at UFC 163 on his UFC debut in 2013. The Brazilian also featured in The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 2, winning two of his bouts in the competition and also losing twice.
'Marreta' put together a solid run of results together between 2014 and 2016, winning five out of his six UFC bouts, only losing to Uriah Hall at UFC 175. Losing to a fighter like Hall obviously comes with no shame, and the Brazilian would continue to go on regular winning streaks throughout his UFC career.
However, the tail end of Thiago Santos' UFC career didn't go well. His last win in the organization came in 2021 against Johnny Walker. Since this victory, the Brazilian has lost to Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill. As mentioned above, Santos has now moved to the PFL and will compete in the light-heavyweight tournament next year.
