Daniel Santos (fighter)

Daniel Gustavo Gonzaga Santos (born March 12, 1995) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Early life and background Santos was born in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He later relocated to São Paulo, where he trained under the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team. Before turning professional, he lived in rural Brazil and worked in agriculture. He holds a black grade in Muay Thai from Kickboxing Academy and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu‑jitsu, and he competed in ten amateur Muay Thai bouts, winning all of them. Santos has cited Charles Oliveira, Thomas Almeida, and Fedor Emelianenko as key influences on his career.

Santos began training in mixed martial arts in 2011 after being inspired by a televised Anderson Silva fight. Early in his training, he earned the nickname Willycat after performing an unusually high sprawl that made it difficult for partners to take him down; his coach compared the movement to a cat, referencing the ThunderCats character.

Professional mixed martial arts career

Early career Santos began his professional career competing in regional Brazilian promotions, where he captured a Fatality Arena title in Rio de Janeiro and built the record that eventually led to his signing with the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Santos made his debut with the UFC on April 9, 2022 against Julio Arce at UFC 273. At the weigh-ins, Arce weighed in at 136.5 pounds, half a pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse which went to Santos. Santos lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Santos faced John Castañeda on October 1, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 211. He won the fight by knockout in the second round with a knee. This bout earned them a Fight of the Night award.

Santos and Johnny Muñoz Jr. were expected to meet on May 6, 2023 at UFC 288, but the bout was scrapped after Santos withdrew due to an undisclosed injury. They eventually faced each other on June 3, 2023 at UFC on ESPN 46, where Santos won by unanimous decision.

Returning to the featherweight division, Santos faced Lee Jeong-yeong on May 10, 2025 at UFC 315 and won the bout via unanimous decision.

Santos was scheduled to face Choi Doo-ho on September 28, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 260. However, due to injury, Choi was replaced by Yoo Joo-sang. In addition, for unknown reasons, the bout was moved to UFC 320, which took place on October 4, 2025. Their bout was changed to a catchweight bout of 153 pounds due to both fighters weighing in over the featherweight bout limit. Santos won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.

Santos' bout with Choi was re-scheduled to take place on May 9, 2026 at UFC 328. However, it was later moved to UFC Fight Night 276 one week later on May 16, 2026 for unknown reasons. Santos lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round. This fight earned him a $100,000 Fight of the Night award.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship Fight of the Night (Two times)

Mixed martial arts record

|Win |align=center|14–2 |Yoo Joo-sang |TKO (punches) |UFC 320 | |align=center|2 |align=center|0:21 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

|Win |align=center|13–2 |Lee Jeong-yeong |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 315 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

|Win |align=center|8–0 |Dukvaha Astamirov |Decision (majority) |ACB 80 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Krasnodar, Russia

See also List of current UFC fighters List of male mixed martial artists

References

Daniel Santos (fighter)

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