Thiago Santos
Active 2013–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 85.0
Scouting report
Pushing prime Jon Jones to a split decision while fighting through torn knee ligaments at UFC 239 defined Thiago "Marreta" Santos's UFC run. Rising from the City of God in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the former army paratrooper fought with hooks and head kicks, his firepower reflected in a 90 Strength rating, 90 Boxing, and 88 Kickboxing, establishing an 85 Overall grade.
Peak ratings
By edition
Upon moving to light heavyweight in late 2018, Santos scored three consecutive knockouts over Eryk Anders in Sao Paulo, Jimi Manuwa in a brawl at UFC 231 in Toronto, and Jan Blachowicz in Prague. At UFC 239 in Las Vegas, he lost a five-round split decision to Jon Jones. His Muay Thai power and kickboxing are reflected in a 90 Boxing and 88 Kickboxing.
After more than a year away, Santos returned in November 2020, losing to Glover Teixeira by submission and Aleksandar Rakic on a decision before out-pointing Johnny Walker across five rounds in Las Vegas in October 2021. His power counter-punches, heavy kicks, and physical strength anchor his 88 Boxing and 88 Strength ratings.
Thiago Santos, the paratrooper from Cidade de Deus
Thiago Santos grew up poor in Rio de Janeiro and settled in the Cidade de Deus neighborhood. He trained capoeira for eight years and served as an army paratrooper. He reached the big stage through The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Leonardo Santos. He fought at middleweight, then moved to light heavyweight in 2018, knocking out Jimi Manuwa in December and stopping Jan Blachowicz in round three in 2019. That earned him a title shot against Jon Jones.
Santos breakdown
Boxing. Tied for his top rating. He hits hard and fast, and Manuwa went down early in round two.
Kickboxing. Excellent. A spinning heel kick and punches combined to stop Jack Marshman in 2017.
Wrestling. Modest. His wins are mostly on the feet.
BJJ. Modest. Glover Teixeira submitted him in round three in 2020.
Strength. Tied for his best. His 14 knockdowns tie for sixth most in the history of the promotion.
Durability. Very tough. He fought Jones on a torn left ACL, PCL, MCL and meniscus and a cracked tibia.
Cardio. Solid. He fought five times in 2018, tying the record for most bouts in a calendar year.
Fight IQ. Fine. He won one judge's scorecard against Jones in the 2019 split decision loss.
Boxing and Strength tie at 90
Both numbers sit at the top of his card, and they explain his knockout tally. He tied for the most bouts in a calendar year in 2018 with five. He is a finisher who can end things early and still threatened Teixeira in 2020.
Wrestling and BJJ tie at 76
Both are his lowest marks. Eric Spicely submitted him in 2016 and Teixeira did in 2020. If a fight goes to the mat, he is out of his element, so build around teammates who can cover for it.
Keep exploring
Closest light heavyweight profiles to Thiago Santos, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Khalil Rountreebest kickboxing 92 · weakest bjj 70
- Jamahal Hillbest boxing 92 · weakest bjj 74
- Carlos Ulbergbest boxing 91 · weakest bjj 72
- Dominick Reyesbest boxing 90 · weakest bjj 74
- Light Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Thiago Santos's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Thiago Santos into your build
Thiago Santos enters the pool on any spin landing on light heavyweight between 2018 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Thiago Santos is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Thiago Santos's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.