Tag: Taila Santos

Taila Santos expects Valentina Shevchenko to lose Alexa Grasso trilogy bout: ‘I think her time is passing’

Taila Santos gives her prediction for the expected trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] knows a thing or two about the elite in the UFC women’s flyweight division, and she thinks [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] is here to stay as champion.

Santos, a former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger and now PFL fighter, doesn’t think [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] will regain her title in her expected championship trilogy against Grasso later this year. The Brazilian believes that Shevchenko’s prime is becoming a thing of the past, and also thinks Grasso has figured her out.

“Alexa,” Santos told MMA Junkie in Portuguese when asked about who’d win the trilogy bout. “I think Valentina, I think her time is passing, and I think before that trilogy she should’ve accepted a fight against me again because she’s losing her grace.

“This is the third fight and Alexa already showed that Valentina has a weak point on the ground. She already finished her and (I thought) she won the second, so I think the trilogy is to just make that definite.”

Santos remains one of Shevchenko’s toughest career fights, as well as her last UFC championship win. The two fought back in 2022 and the fight ended in a split decision favoring Shevchenko.

After the title defense against Santos, Shevchenko went on to get submitted by Grasso in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. They rematch six months later, and they fought to a split draw. Now, Grasso and Shevchenko are coaching this season of The Ultimate Fighter and are expected to fight at the end of the show.

Santos likes what she’s seen from Grasso as champion, but believes she laid the blueprint to beat Shevchenko.

“Alexa Grasso is a very smart athlete and young, too,” Santos said. “After I fought Valentina, she was the next one for the opportunity and I figured that she would watch my fight against Valentina so she can analyze it and look for her weakness. Since I said that her deficiency is on the ground, and that’s where our fight went, she used that.

“She worked at it, she worked at it and was able to take the fight to the ground and finish her there. She must have studied it and looked for the same path, and that’s how she got the finish. (Grasso) is a very smart and tough fighter, and I like her game a lot.”

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Taila Santos def. Ilara Joanne at 2024 PFL 1: Best photos

Check out these photos from Taila Santos’ PFL debut victory over Ilara Joanne at 2024 PFL 1 in San Antonio.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]’ PFL debut submission victory over Ilara Joanne at 2024 PFL 1, which took place at Boeing Center in San Antonio. (Photos by Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

2024 PFL 1 video: Former UFC title challenger Taila Santos makes quick work of Ilara Joanne in debut

The UFC’s subtraction appears to be quite the addition for PFL.

The UFC’s subtraction seems to have been quite the addition for PFL.

At 2024 PFL 1 on Thursday, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] made her promotional debut and dispatched Ilara Joanne with a rear-naked choke for the stoppage at 3:57 of Round 1.

The flyweight fight took place on the event’s prelims at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio and earned Santos six points in the regular season standings.

Check out video of the finish below (via X):

Santos (20-3) snaps a two-fight skid that included losses to Valentina Shevchenko and Erin Blanchfield. Her UFC departure surprised many, as she was months removed from a near-successful title challenge.

Joanne (11-9) falls into a three-fight skid. She was short-notice replacement for Denise Kielholtz, who withdrew days before the fight.

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The up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL 1 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

Ex-UFC title challenger Taila Santos confident entering PFL’s $1 million tournament: ‘I’m one of the favorites’

Former UFC title challenger Taila Santos likes her chances of winning this year’s PFL $1 million tournament.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] is eager to start a new chapter in her MMA career, as she believes she can be both a champion and a millionaire by the end of it.

Santos (19-3), a former UFC title challenger, makes her PFL debut this Thursday at 2024 PFL 1 in San Antonio. It’s her first fight since her unexpected exit from the UFC late last year. Santos debuts against Ilara Joanne (11-8) in the opening round of the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight season, where she’ll be competing for the PFL title and the $1 million prize that comes with it.

Ahead of such a big competition, Santos feels confident in her chances of going all the way.

“I feel like I’m one of the favorites entering the tournament,” Santos told MMA Junkie in Portuguese. “I already fought for the UFC title against Valentina (Shevchenko), and she’s a tough fighter, and before I fought her, she had big fights, and she’s a renowned athlete. I felt like that was an important fight and I felt I won it.

“So yeah, I feel like I’m one of the favorites and I come to this tournament with a big name.”

Santos took Valentina Shevchenko to the brink in a highly competitive UFC championship bout in 2022. Unfortunately for Santos, she lost a split decision, but many thought she did enough to get her hand raised.

Apart from the admirable showing against an all-time great, Santos had shining moments in the octagon, defeating veterans such as Roxanne Modafferi, Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson and Joanne Wood.

Santos doesn’t want to overlook any of her future opponents in the PFL, but her resume gives her confidence. She plans to take it step by step this season and not get ahead of herself.

“Fight by fight,” Santos said. “I’m focused on every objective and go step by step. Of course, the goal and mind are set on getting to the final, but you have to take it step by step.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 1.

Former UFC title challenger Taila Santos breaks silence on unexpected promotion exit: ‘I wasn’t very happy’

Now signed with PFL, Taila Santos explains the reason behind her unexpected exit from the UFC.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] is on the verge of making her PFL debut, which is something most didn’t see coming just a few months back.

The former UFC title challenger unexpectedly exited late last year as one of the bigger names and top contenders in the women’s flyweight division. Neither the promotion nor Santos (19-3) gave much of an explanation regarding her surprise exit until now.

Ahead of 2024 PFL 1, which marks her first fight since departing from the UFC, Santos gave her side of the story and explained why she is no longer in the UFC.

“Yeah, I was in the UFC, but I wasn’t very happy,” Santos told MMA Junkie in Portuguese. “Everything started when I fought for the belt against Valentina (Shevchenko). I clearly won that fight, and it was one of the first tough fights Valentina had ever had in her career. No other fighter had done what I did against her.

“I was able to take her down to the ground and keep her there, while also blocking her attacks on the feet. So many people wanted to see the rematch, and the fans were asking for it. I believe I deserved the rematch, the opportunity, but it didn’t happen.”

Santos lost by split decision to Valentina Shevchenko in a UFC women’s flyweight championship bout in June 2022. It was a very competitive fight, and arguably Shevchenko’s toughest title defense at that time. Many thought the Brazilian had done enough to defeat the then-champion.

Not getting the rematch against Shevchenko didn’t sit well with Santos, but there was more than that.

“There were also some uncomfortable aspects around dates and the calendar,” Santos said. “I would fight once, and then there would be no dates, and I would have to wait, and there were just so many delays. There wasn’t a calendar. It was a lot of waiting after each fight, and I wasn’t happy. So I just chose to fight out my contract and not renew.”

Santos takes on Ilara Joanne (11-8) for her PFL debut at Boeing Center in San Antonio this Thursday. It’s part of the first round of fights of the 2024 women’s flyweight season.

The 30-year-old is excited to compete for the women’s flyweight title and the $1 million prize. She’s happy with her decision to transition from UFC to PFL.

“This is super cool,” Santos said. “Like I said, I was aware of PFL before, and they’re growing every day. It’s very cool, and they’re leveling up very well, it’s big.  I’m very happy to have received this contract and to be part of a great organization that’s growing each event. For sure, it’s going to keep growing every day.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 1.

PFL signs former UFC title challenger Taila Santos for 2024 season

After a somewhat surprising UFC departure, Taila Santos has a new promotional home in the PFL.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] has signed with the PFL.

A one-time UFC women’s flyweight title challenger, Santos (19-3) will partake in the 2024 PFL season after inking a multifight deal with the promotion.

Three people with knowledge of the situation, including a promotion official, confirmed the signing Friday to MMA Junkie after an initial report by OCP News.

Santos, 30, was released from the UFC mid-contract in November after back-to-back losses. Her departure, however, came as a surprise to some, as her defeats were close against some of the division’s top-ranked fighters.

One of those losses was her lone UFC title challenge, a June 2022 split decision loss against Valentina Shevchenko. Santos returned against Erin Blanchfield in August and lost a competitive unanimous decision.

In total, Santos went 4-3 across seven UFC outings from 2019 to 2023.

It’s unclear who Santos will compete against in her initial PFL regular season matchup, which is expected to take place April 4 in San Antonio. Santos is one of three known season competitors, joining Bellator women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche and fast-rising prospect Dakota Ditcheva.

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UFC releases former title challenger Taila Santos

Just two fights ago, Taila Santos nearly upset Valentina Shevchenko for UFC gold. Now she’s no longer part of the roster.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] is no longer part of the UFC roster.

Santos, a former women’s flyweight title challenger, was released from her contract after seven fights with the promotion. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Tuesday after UFC Roster Tracker shared it on X (formerly Twitter).

Santos had “a couple of fights” left on her deal. It’s unclear why she was released.

Santos (19-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC), who punched her ticket to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, came close to upsetting then-champion Valentina Shevchenko in their flyweight title fight at UFC 275 in June 2022. She lost the bout by split decision.

The 30-year-old Brazilian has since lost another close bout to top contender Erin Blanchfield this past August at UFC Fight Night 225. Prior to her two-fight setback, Santos was on a four-fight winning streak against Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson, Roxanne Modafferi, and Joanne Wood.

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UFC Fight Night 225 post-event facts: Max Holloway sets record with KO of ‘The Korean Zombie’

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 225, which saw Max Holloway add to his legendary resume with a highlight knockout win.

UFC Fight Night 225 took place Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore and saw seven of 13 fights end in a stoppage.

None of those finishes were more memorable than the main event, where former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) lived up to expectations when he scored a brutal third-round knockout of [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) to send “The Korean Zombie” into retirement in the featherweight bout.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 225.

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UFC Fight Night 225 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Max Holloway among three with top non-title money

UFC Fight Night 225 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 225 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $196,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 225 took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 225 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Fernie Garcia[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Toshiomi Kazama[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rolando Bedoya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yusaku Kinoshita[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]JJ Aldrich[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Na Liang[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2251 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,735,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,324,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 225.

UFC Fight Night 225 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC Fight Night 225 in Singapore.

UFC Fight Night 225 took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

In the main event, former featherweight champion Max Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) takes on “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung (17-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC). In the co-feature, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith (37-18 MMA, 12-8 UFC) meets Ryan Spann (21-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a rematch.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.