Thiago Santos will be ready to return to the Octagon this summer, but he’s not liking the matchups the UFC are offering him at the moment.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Santos said it’s almost “100 percent certain” that he’ll return to action in July. He’s expecting to be medically cleared by March. Santos hasn’t competed since July of last year when he fought reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to a split decision in the UFC 239 main event. It’s a fight some argue Santos could’ve won on the scorecards.
Since, Jones has defended his title against Dominick Reyes in another controversially scored bout, and Jan Blachowicz has emerged as a top contender after knocking out Corey Anderson this past weekend at UFC Rio Rancho. Santos initially wanted an immediate rematch with Jones upon his return from injury, given he’s the first to fight “Bones” to a split decision.
However, now that things have developed since then, that doesn’t seem like an option anymore. Recently, the UFC has been offering Santos fights, but the matchups don’t seem to be living up to his expectations.
“They want to give me fights I don’t want,” Santos said. “I never turn fights down, no matter who they are. But I’ve earned something, and I won’t accept anything less. I won’t take a step back. They want to give me something that represents a step back, and I won’t take a step back.”
Santos couldn’t reveal who the name was that the UFC offered him recently, but he did note that it was someone outside of the top ten.
“I can’t say his name because it could get me in trouble, but they offered someone who’s not in the top-10,” Santos said. “I don’t think it’s fair to fight someone outside the top five or six, or someone who’s on a rise. I was very upset when they offered someone who’s coming off a loss, you know? I refuse to take a step back. It’s not fair. If that’s how it goes, we’re gonna have problems getting our next fight.”
Jan Blachowicz could be next in line for Jones, as he knocked out Corey Anderson in the first round of the UFC Rio Rancho main event. Jones was cageside for the bout, and seemed very excited about potentially matching up against Blachowicz and his Polish power. Santos offered his own breakdown for the potential fight.
“It’s tough,” Santos said. “He’s someone who can surprise with a punch and win, just like he did against Corey Anderson. But it’s a complicated matchup.
“You have to move a lot to beat Jones, and that’s not the case with Blachowicz. You can’t stand in front of him. Reyes did that very well. It’s hard for Jan, but I don’t doubt him landing a punch and changing the story.”
Who do you think Santos should fight upon his return from injury?