In three fights at light heavyweight, Thiago “Marreta” Santos has gone from divisional newcomer to a possible 2019 title challenger, with Saturday’s third-round finish of Jan Blachowicz at the O2 Arena in Prague clearly putting him in the conversation for a shot at the crown.
“If it’s Anthony Smith, I’ll beat him again; if it’s Jon Jones, I’ll beat him too,” said Santos, who will be in Las Vegas next weekend to watch the main event of UFC 235.
Blachowicz was the busier striker of the two early in the fight, with his stiff jab working well. Santos responded with kicks to the leg and the occasional 1-2 upstairs. With a minute left, Blachowicz looked for a takedown but was pushed away by Santos, who added a right hand on the way out.
Warsaw’s Blachowicz kept the fight at a measured pace in the second stanza, allowing him to stay out of danger while picking his shots well. Santos was landing as well, particularly with his low kicks, but the bombs coming from his fists and feet were either coming up short or missing wide.
But early in the third round, Santos finally struck big, and after he put a charging Blachowicz down with a right-left, the follow-up barrage from the Rio de Janeiro native was mere window dressing, as the fight was stopped by referee Herb Dean at :39 of round three.
With the win, the No. 6-ranked Santos moves to 21-6. His 11th Octagon knockout win also puts him in a three-way second-place tie for most knockouts in UFC history.
The No. 4-ranked Blachowicz falls to 23-8.
