“It was a long time ago,” Santos said. “I don’t want to find any excuse. I felt great, I had a great camp but unfortunately, I lost and I broke my nose. I think it made a big change in the fight because the first few punches broke my nose [so] it was hard to breathe. I came back to the gym, I trained hard, and I changed a lot of my camp so I think this fight will be so different.”
San Antonio Fighters On The Rise
Santos’ willingness to get back in the Octagon for a quick turnaround had to be put on hold, as she and her husband, former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos, announced they were expecting their first child shortly after her fight with Aldana.
Those next nine months, however, Santos never took her foot off the gas, training as best she could to make her return to full-time fighting as seamless as possible. In April 2022, Santos gave birth to her second child, Alise, and continued balancing motherhood and her career.