Thiago Santos will be away from the Octagon for a long time following his grueling battle against Jon Jones at UFC 239.
The results are finally in for Thiago Santos’ knee injuries suffered during his five-round battle against Jon Jones at UFC 239, and it’s worse than what anyone could have imagined. According to Combate, ‘Marreta’’s MRI exam results showed tears in all of the Brazilian’s left knee’s ligaments and meniscus.
If that wasn’t enough, though, the results also showed suspicions of a injury in his right knee’s meniscus, as well as a partial tear in his ligaments. To make sure, Santos will undergo more exams this week.
Additionally, Marreta is set to travel to Los Angeles this week to undergo surgery in his left knee, which according to Combate’s report, should put Santos away for, in the most optimistic scenario, a total of eight months.
Regardless of the injuries suffered during the first round of his fight for the light heavyweight title, Thiago Santos (21-7) still stands as the first man to ever take Jon Jones to a split decision. Before the loss, the 35-year-old was on a four-fight winning streak, having defeated Kevin Holland, Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz, with all but one of the fights ending by way of knockout.