The return bout for Thiago Santos has been set and it’s against Glover Teixeira.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reports that the UFC is closing in on finalizing a light heavyweight scrap between Santos and Teixeira. This will headline a UFC Fight Night card on Sept. 12. Here’s Okamoto’s tweet.
Santos hasn’t been seen in action since July 2019 when he challenged Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship. Santos fell just short in that bout, losing via split decision. “Marreta” was in rough shape after the bout, to say the least. Santos tore ligaments in his left knee and had a partially torn ACL in his right knee. He underwent successful surgery and appears ready to roll again.
As for Teixeira, he’s coming off a brutal TKO victory over Anthony Smith. The 40-year-old Teixeira proved he is still a dangerous 205-pounder and hopes to get another light heavyweight title shot before his career comes to a close. As of this writing, Santos holds the number two spot on the official UFC light heavyweight rankings, while Teixeira sits at number five.
Before losing to Jones, Santos was riding a four-fight winning streak. He has been riding the hot hand at 205 pounds with finishes over the likes of Jan Blachowicz, and his gutsy performance against Jones can’t be overlooked.
Teixeira is hoping to prove he’s only getting better with time. While Teixeira is no spring chicken, he is riding a four-fight winning streak with two submissions and a TKO victory in that span.
