The former title challenger for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, Thiago Santos has signed an exclusive deal with the PFL.
Promotion president Ray Sefo told ESPN on Thursday. Santos, age 38, will make his PFL debut in 2023, when he competes in the7th season for a shot at wining the tournament championship and a purse of $1 million. Santos will fight in the 205-pound division.
The first to report and confirm this was Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
“We are very excited to bring in Thiago Santos to the PFL light heavyweight division,” Sefo told ESPN. “He is known throughout the MMA world as a guy who delivers exciting fights, and I’m looking forward to seeing his elite knockout power up close.”
Santos last fought at UFC Vegas 59 in a main event against Jamahal Hill in August, losing via fourth-round TKO.
Six of his last seven appearances in UFC were in main events, including a failed Light Heavyweight title shot against then-champion Jon Jones at UFC 239 in July of 2019. Santos lost that fight via split decision.
He was nearing the end of his UFC contract, and the two sides ultimately decided it was best to part ways. Santos fought exclusively in the UFC since August of 2013.
“It was an amicable separation with the UFC,” Santos’ manager Alex Davis told ESPN. “Thiago is very grateful for everything the UFC did for him, and he’s very grateful toward the PFL for signing with him. He’s looking forward to winning a million dollars.”
Fighting out of Brazil, Santos came close to dethroning Jones in their five-round title fight despite suffering a serious knee injury during the bout.
The 2022 PFL finals are in November. The light heavyweight final features two former UFC veterans in Robert Wilkinson and Omari Akhmedov who will be competing for the PFL Championship in the light heavyweight division and one-million dollars.
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