Interview: Thiago Santos ‘pleased’ with Nate Marquardt matchup at UFC 198

In a Q&A style interview with BloodyElbow.com’s Nick Baldwin, UFC middleweight Thiago Santos discusses his upcoming fight against Nate Marquardt at UFC 198, cracking into the middleweight rankings, being apart of the military prior to his MMA career and more.

In a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com, rising UFC middleweight discussed various topics, including his upcoming fight with Nate Marquardt at UFC 198 next weekend, fighting a ranked opponent with a win over the veteran, being apart of a stacked pay-per-view card, fighting Canadians, his military duties prior to his MMA career and more.

Let’s dive right in.

*  *  *

BloodyElbow.com: Let’s go back to your last fight in December… You picked up a decision win over Elias Theodorou. How good did it feel to go in there as the underdog and derail the hype train of TUF winner Theodorou?

Thiago Santos: I prepared well for what he would do in that fight. I knew it would be a clash of styles, so nothing he tried surprised me. I do not mind coming in as an underdog; I will do my job either way.

BloodyElbow.com: You have had back-to-back wins over Canadians… I know Marquardt isn’t Canadian, but if you fight another one, can we start calling you the Canadian killer or what?

Thiago Santos: I can understand why people may get that idea. But honestly, I do not think it would be cool! I have nothing against Canadians or anyone else. I will fight to beat whoever is in the octagon with me, irrespective of nationality.

BloodyElbow.com: Were you surprised at all when you got the call to fight Marquardt? Did you expect a bit of a bigger fight?

Thiago Santos: I was not surprised; in fact I was pleased with the match. I want to fight, not choose opponents. But Marquardt is experienced and comes from a victory over a top 15 contender, so it is a good fight!

BloodyElbow.com: How has your training camp been going so far and who are some of your main training partners?

Thiago Santos: I had a great camp and I am well prepared for this fight! Marcos Rogério Pezão, King Mo and other names helped me a lot for this match.

BloodyElbow.com: How do you think you matchup with Marquardt?

Thiago Santos: I do not compare myself with him; I just know I will beat him.

BloodyElbow.com: Do you expect a top 15 fight with a win on May 14?

Thiago Santos: Marquardt is an experienced and dangerous opponent, capable of beating any opponent in the top 15, so I expect a top 15 or top 10 fight after overcoming Marquardt.

BloodyElbow.com: What does it mean to you to be on such a stacked card UFC 198? A ton of Brazilian legends are on the card, including Anderson Silva, Fabricio Werdum, Jacare Souza and Vitor Belfort.

Thiago Santos: I am thrilled at the opportunity to participate in this historic card and fight in my country once more. But the main focus is to win my fight; after I do my job I can sit down and enjoy the event.

BloodyElbow.com: A few fights back you fought Uriah Hall… How much did you learn from that loss, and how much do regret not being more aggressive considering Hall’s broken toe?

Thiago Santos: I learn something from every fight, whether I win or lose, but Hall is a tough opponent. I really learned many lessons from that fight and I certainly will not make the same mistakes.

BloodyElbow.com: You were a Brazilian army paratrooper prior to getting into MMA… what was that experience like?

Thiago Santos: In fact I was a member of the Army Special Forces as well as a paratrooper. I suppose that is comparable to the US Navy Seals or US Army Green Berets. It was a great experience, from which I bring not only to MMA, but to everything I do in life. Certainly the time I served in the Army helps me very much with my duels inside the octagon.

BloodyElbow.com: Do you have any goals for 2016 besides winning this fight?

Thiago Santos: I want to win another couple of fights against tough opponents and earn a top 10 spot by the end of this year.

BloodyElbow.com: Finally, how does the fight with Marquardt play out on May 14?

Thiago Santos: It will be an exciting match that will end with my arm raised!

In a Q&A style interview with BloodyElbow.com’s Nick Baldwin, UFC middleweight Thiago Santos discusses his upcoming fight against Nate Marquardt at UFC 198, cracking into the middleweight rankings, being apart of the military prior to his MMA career and more.

In a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com, rising UFC middleweight discussed various topics, including his upcoming fight with Nate Marquardt at UFC 198 next weekend, fighting a ranked opponent with a win over the veteran, being apart of a stacked pay-per-view card, fighting Canadians, his military duties prior to his MMA career and more.

Let’s dive right in.

*  *  *

BloodyElbow.com: Let’s go back to your last fight in December… You picked up a decision win over Elias Theodorou. How good did it feel to go in there as the underdog and derail the hype train of TUF winner Theodorou?

Thiago Santos: I prepared well for what he would do in that fight. I knew it would be a clash of styles, so nothing he tried surprised me. I do not mind coming in as an underdog; I will do my job either way.

BloodyElbow.com: You have had back-to-back wins over Canadians… I know Marquardt isn’t Canadian, but if you fight another one, can we start calling you the Canadian killer or what?

Thiago Santos: I can understand why people may get that idea. But honestly, I do not think it would be cool! I have nothing against Canadians or anyone else. I will fight to beat whoever is in the octagon with me, irrespective of nationality.

BloodyElbow.com: Were you surprised at all when you got the call to fight Marquardt? Did you expect a bit of a bigger fight?

Thiago Santos: I was not surprised; in fact I was pleased with the match. I want to fight, not choose opponents. But Marquardt is experienced and comes from a victory over a top 15 contender, so it is a good fight!

BloodyElbow.com: How has your training camp been going so far and who are some of your main training partners?

Thiago Santos: I had a great camp and I am well prepared for this fight! Marcos Rogério Pezão, King Mo and other names helped me a lot for this match.

BloodyElbow.com: How do you think you matchup with Marquardt?

Thiago Santos: I do not compare myself with him; I just know I will beat him.

BloodyElbow.com: Do you expect a top 15 fight with a win on May 14?

Thiago Santos: Marquardt is an experienced and dangerous opponent, capable of beating any opponent in the top 15, so I expect a top 15 or top 10 fight after overcoming Marquardt.

BloodyElbow.com: What does it mean to you to be on such a stacked card UFC 198? A ton of Brazilian legends are on the card, including Anderson Silva, Fabricio Werdum, Jacare Souza and Vitor Belfort.

Thiago Santos: I am thrilled at the opportunity to participate in this historic card and fight in my country once more. But the main focus is to win my fight; after I do my job I can sit down and enjoy the event.

BloodyElbow.com: A few fights back you fought Uriah Hall… How much did you learn from that loss, and how much do regret not being more aggressive considering Hall’s broken toe?

Thiago Santos: I learn something from every fight, whether I win or lose, but Hall is a tough opponent. I really learned many lessons from that fight and I certainly will not make the same mistakes.

BloodyElbow.com: You were a Brazilian army paratrooper prior to getting into MMA… what was that experience like?

Thiago Santos: In fact I was a member of the Army Special Forces as well as a paratrooper. I suppose that is comparable to the US Navy Seals or US Army Green Berets. It was a great experience, from which I bring not only to MMA, but to everything I do in life. Certainly the time I served in the Army helps me very much with my duels inside the octagon.

BloodyElbow.com: Do you have any goals for 2016 besides winning this fight?

Thiago Santos: I want to win another couple of fights against tough opponents and earn a top 10 spot by the end of this year.

BloodyElbow.com: Finally, how does the fight with Marquardt play out on May 14?

Thiago Santos: It will be an exciting match that will end with my arm raised!