The main event of UFC Fight Night 137 in Sao Paulo, Brazil will feature Jimi Manuwa begrudgingly taking on Thiago “Marreta” Santos. Jimi Manuwa is currently ranked #5 in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings; meanwhile, Santos is making his debut in the division as a replacement for Manuwa’s original opponent Glover Teixeira….a fact that Jimi Manuwa was not at all happy about:
“I didn’t see any incentive in taking the fight because it was coming from a middleweight,” Manuwa told MMA Fighting. “I wanted a good name, so I wasn’t really interested in fighting, but then the UFC persuaded me to take the fight. I had a little think about it, and Thiago Santos is a good fighter, so I accepted the fight.
“Everyone else didn’t make sense. Everyone that was worth fighting already was matched up. It was very hard in the light heavyweight division because people were fighting, or injured, or unranked.”
Even though Jimi Manuwa seems to be implying if not directly stating that he does not consider Thiago Santos one of the people “worth fighting,” that will not change the approach he brings to every fight: pursuing a knockout.
“The UFC knows they have to put a good event, a good opponent for me when I’m fighting because they know I’ll always put on a good show, I always come for the knockout. We’re going to put on a great main event for Sao Paulo. I look forward to coming there.”
UFC Fight Night 137 takes place September 22nd from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Do you believe Thiago Santos is a worthy opponent for Jimi Manuwa?
