LAS VEGAS – Daniel Santos is ready for a ranked opponent, and he wants it in his home country.
Santos (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) defeated Johnny Munoz via unanimous decision this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 45 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Training out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima alongside former champion Charles Oliveira, Santos hopes to land on the rumored Brazil card in Sao Paulo in November.
“I want to fight as soon as possible,” Santos told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter. “To be honest, I would love fighting next week with my brother Charles Oliveira, but I know it’s probably not gonna happen. I’m gonna be ready whenever the UFC wants me to fight. I’ve heard some rumors that UFC is going back to Sao Paulo in November, and it would be a dream to fight there because I live there.”
Santos is eyeing Adrian Yanez (16-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who’s coming off his first octagon loss to Rob Font in April.
“Right now when I was checking, there’s one guy in the rankings, Adrian Yanez, and I want to be in the rankings,” Santos said. “So, I think it would be a good name to fight there in Sao Paulo.
Yanez responded, but would rather fight much sooner.
“Let’s go July or August,” he tweeted. “… “Not trying to wait around. I waited a year just to fight. Can’t do that again.”
Let's go July or August. https://t.co/WP0j6Dz97T
— Adrian Yañez (@yanezmma) June 4, 2023
Not trying to wait around. I waited a year just to fight. Can't do that again.
— Adrian Yañez (@yanezmma) June 4, 2023
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.