The Brazilian fought Valentina Shevchenko for the undisputed women’s flyweight crown at UFC 275, where she lost a contentious five-round split decision in the co-main event on June 12, 2022. Despite calls for a rematch, it never materialized. Santos was instead paired with Erin Blanchfield the following February before visa issues bumped their bout to August.
“After the Valentina fight, we were expecting a rematch,” Santos told Sherdog.com. “Everyone wanted to see us fight again. I was the first girl to put her in danger. I showed that she had shortcomings in her ground game. It was a great fight. Everyone wanted to see a rematch. We kept asking for it. There was no answer. Time went by, so I got booked against Erin.”
Santos dropped a unanimous decision to Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night 225. A little more than two months later, it was announced that she was no longer under contract with the organization.
“We had been unhappy with the UFC after waiting so long for the Valentina rematch,” Santos said. “The UFC kept pitching opponents who weren’t even ranked instead. I had such a great fight [against the champion], so why would I take an unranked opponent next? And there was that waiting game after every fight. We had to keep sending emails. An athlete would rather have a predictable schedule, such as three fights per year. I was pretty much fighting once a year.”
The 30-year-old Santos eventually signed with the Professional Fighters League and will make her company debut opposite Ilara Joanne as part of the PFL 1 undercard on April 4 at the Boeing Center in San Antonio. She likes the position in which she finds herself, especially with the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator MMA.
“The promotion is much bigger now,” Santos said. “Fighters have left the UFC for the PFL, such as Francis Ngannou, and with the Bellator purchase, the roster is bigger and cards have more bouts. Without a doubt, they’ll grow even more.”
Ahead of her forthcoming battle with Joanne, Santos carries the weight of a two-fight losing streak on her shoulders. The onetime Astra Fight Team rep now operates her own camp, where she sharpens her MMA and muay thai skills under Adoniran dos Santos.
“Our training camp is very open,” Santos said. “We bring in girls who fight in my weight class, depending on who my next opponent will be.”
Santos concedes the potential of a seven-figure payday at the end of the PFL season was a selling point in her decision to sign with the promotion.
“I see it as an incentive,” she said. “Every athlete in a big promotion hopes to be well-paid. This grand prix can be a life-changer. I’m very happy with my contract. Now I know how frequently I’ll fight, plus there’s that million [dollars] at the end. It’s further motivation.”