Thiago Santos is looking forward to Elias Theodorou’s downfall this coming UFC Fight Night 80.
Winning over middleweight prospect Steve Bosse at UFC Fight Night 70 last June by an impressive 29-second knockout, Santos is now facing another promising MMA fighter this Thursday night in Nevada. He revealed, however, that he just thinks Theodorou is just some stepping stone for him on his way to the top.
“You get more motivated when you’re coming off wins, but I have a goal. I didn’t enter the UFC to be just another one. I have a goal in my life. I’m motivated to get past every obstacle they put in front of me, and Elias Theodorou is another obstacle I have to walk over. I’m ready, and I will get past Elias,” Santos revealed during a recent interview with MMAjunkie.
Theodorou, on the other hand, was able to win two out of his three MMA fights by knockout. He stopped both Roger Narvaez and Sheldon Westcott with strikes. Santos, however, isn’t impressed by “The Spartan’s” achievements at all.
“I don’t know if he’s tougher than my previous opponents, but he’s different. His style is more focused on holding the opponent and using his wrestling, to dominate and not let his opponent fight. He’s the first real wrestler I’m facing. Elias has some striking, I believe he went to Thailand in the past, but his strongest weapon is wrestling. It’s going to be a test for me, and it’s a good opportunity for me to show my wrestling if I need to. He’s similar to Ronny Markes, Ronny tends to use more of his jiu-jitsu instead of pure wrestling. Elias has better takedowns and control of the fight,” Santos said.
Aiming for one more “performance of the night” bonus, Santos says he will definitely make a mark on Theodorou’s record in Nevada.
“It’s hard to say how the fight will go, but I will try to finish the fight like I always do. I’m a striker and that’s what I like to do. I like to brawl, so we’ll see who will be able to impose his game. I will always try to finish the fight, and it won’t be different this time. I want to stop him in the first round, but I’m ready for three. I see myself knocking Elias Theodorou out. No other way. He won’t handle the pain. I will beat him up bad, I will stop him,” he added.
Just like any fighter who has an unblemished record, Santos is hoping he can end the year with a perfect 3-0 MMA record. Aside from this, he admitted that he wants to bring his family to the United States if things will go as planned.
“We’re working on that. It’s not that simple, but I want to bring them here. Living here is good for me, life would be better for me and my family. My son is 11, and being able to study here and learn a new language is great for him to have a better future. I have this idea, but we’ll get there slowly. Who knows, maybe in one or two years we’ll move. I miss being close to my family and friends when I’m here in the United States. We make new friends here, of course, but I miss them. After this win, I will bring my wife and son here to have some fun, and then return to Brazil,” he said.