Ultimate Incentive

Much has changed for Thiago Santos since he last competed inside the Octagon, and it can be summed up in one word: fatherhood. Santos and fiancée Yana Kunitskaya welcomed their first child—a daughter named Alisa—in April. The last few months have been a whirlwind for the couple.

“I’m very happy with this period of my life,” Santos told Sherdog.com. “My daughter was just born. Getting ready for a fight this time around has been very different and special. I’m enjoying my daughter, my family. It’s extra motivation for the next fight.”

Santos—who challenged and nearly upset Jon Jones for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title in 2019—will do battle with Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jamahal Hill in the UFC on ESPN 40 headliner this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Brazilian enters the cage in the midst of a career-worst tailspin, having lost four of his past five bouts. However, only Glover Teixeira managed to finish him in that stretch.

“There’s not much I can say,” Santos said. “My opponents were better. I was lacking attitude in those fights. There isn’t much to say. They played a safe game. They didn’t expose themselves. They didn’t put themselves at risk. [Other than Teixeira], they did enough to win on points. That’s what it was.”

Now 38 years of age, Santos spent his entire training camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he looked to recapture the magic that once made him the No. 1 contender at 205 pounds. In addition to the world-class coaches and stablemates with which he surrounds himself, “Marreta” brought in Team Nogueira’s Antonio Paulo Branjao to round out his pre-fight efforts.

“He’s pretty tall,” Santos said. “He also helped me get ready for my title shot against Jones. He’s a big help, and he assisted with my physical conditioning, too.”

Hill, 31, stands as a formidable obstacle. “Sweet Dreams” has compiled a 4-1 record with one no contest through six appearances in the UFC, a first-round technical knockout loss to Paul Craig in June 2021 the only hiccup. The 6-foot-4 Chicago native last competed at UFC Fight Night 201, where he punched out Johnny Walker a little more than two minutes into their Feb. 19 main event.

“Hill is a younger opponent,” Santos said. “He’s also a striker, and he has been winning by knockout. He’s dangerous. I’m very well prepared to face him. I’m confident I’ll be winning this fight in an impressive way. I’m going to win in spectacular fashion.”