In May, Mairon Santos moved up a weight class and scored a huge win over Sodiq Yusuff. After a clean sweep of a previously ranked opponent, you could rest on your laurels, but that’s just not how Santos rolls. Instead, he looked to cross-train at some high-profile gyms. While he may have just been looking for a different look, he found something much more than that: a new home.
“I went to visit and fell in love with the gym. I decided my next camp would be with the team,” Santos explained. “So I came back to Vegas to get my stuff and then I went back to Brazil in early September. I already knew about the fight, so when I heard about the fight I just said, ‘Okay, I’m going to Brazil, do the camp there’… so yeah, I’m a Fighting Nerd now.”
The complications surrounding his family’s move to Brazil did not make it easy for him. His son was born in the United States and is an American citizen, which made the whole process even more intimidating. However, when he saw how Pablo Sucupira and his gang were preparing, he knew what he had to do.
“The way they see the fight and I really like hitting – they are very smart,” he said. “The way they see it was just like for me, it was very different and I just fell in love with the way they see the fight game and the way they approach the fight, the way they study the opponents. It was just as amazing for me.”
While Jean Silva and Caio Borralho may be some of the names you think of when you hear “Fighting Nerds,” Santos’ main training partner for this one was a lesser-known nerd. However, it is one that you may encounter sooner or later on the senior circuit.
“My main training partner for this camp was Icaro Brito. I believe he is 9-1 or 8-1. Last year he was supposed to fight the contender and this year unfortunately his visa was denied. But he will be in the UFC soon,” Santos said. “The UFC has a lot of interest in him and he has been my main training partner before this. He is very good on the ground, a good striker, and I can’t wait to see him in the UFC – he has improved me tremendously.”
With all that solid work under his belt, Santos is ready for his fight this Saturday. In his return to featherweight, he draws a tough customer in Muhammad Naimov. However, Mairon knows what he is capable of at UFC 323.
“My last fight I was happy with the decision because I wanted to win a clean decision,” he explained. “That’s in the past now, so I want to win with a clean knockout. I’m going to finish him before the third round.”
You can catch him trying to make good on that promise during the UFC 323 prelims. They start at 6pm EST and air on ESPN+.
You can hear the full audio of this interview with Mairon Santos on the latest edition of the Top Turtle MMA Podcast. The interview airs at 1:46.
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