Team Nogueira’s Andre Santos (28-6) was facing a difficult reality after tasting defeat at the hands of Jose de Ribamar Machada Gomes at WFE Platinum 9 in March. With a 3-3 record in his last 6 appearances heading into the bout, the last thing he needed was his head shelled by Gomes’ fists. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.
Fast forward a mere six months, and Santos is on the verge of a break, possibly into the UFC or another major organization. Miraculously, Santos strung together a four-fight win streak during that time, and the highlight of the run came at Bitetti Combat 10 on September 15. There, as an underdog for most of an one-night tournament, Santos upset the field, defeating Ivan Jorge, Julian Soares, and former UFC fighter Edilberto ‘Crocota’ de Oliveira in one of the most incredible displays of endurance and skill we’ve seen in 2011.
Santos’ well-rounded skill-set and fight IQ were the key attributes that helped him find success. He possesses a solid chin, endless conditioning, a versatile stand-up game, and a good takedown game that’s supplemented with an effective top game. Sounds like the baddest man in Brazil, right?
Santos isn’t without flaws. While his striking is aggressive and diverse, he tends to exaggerate his form, winding up with huge shots with little technique. It leaves his chin wide open, and in many of his fights — he’s been socked silly by counters from his opponents. Those gaps weren’t as prominent during his tournament run at Bitetti Combat 10, but they are still prevalent issues he must address.
If every fight were a war of attrition without the risk of being knocked out, ‘Chatuba’ would win nine times out of ten. Unfortunately, MMA doesn’t work that way. Santos has the tools to dominate lesser competition, but can he break through the ceiling that has kept him in the “regional superstar” status for so long? If his Bitetti Combat 10 run was a precursor to the future, the outlook is good. Keep an eye out for news about Santos, he was rumored as a possible contestant for The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil.
Check out video footage of Andre Santos after the jump…
| Flyweight | Bantamweight | Featherweight | Lightweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – Rony Mariano #2 – Aljamain Sterling #3 – Chris Holdsworth #4 – Josh Hill #5 – Fabiano Fernandes #6 – Claudio Ledesma #7 – Sirwan Kakai #8 – Kyoji Horiguchi #9 – Leandro Hygo #10 – Pedro Munhoz |
#1 – Hacran Dias #2 – Joey Gambino #3 – Brandon Bender #4 – Lance Palmer #5 – Jim Alers #6 – Anthony Gutierrez #7 – Max Holloway #8 – John Teixeira #9 – Cody Bollinger #10 – Bubba Jenkins |
#1 – Fabricio Guerreiro #2 – Alessandro Ferreira #3 – Adriano Martins #4 – Justin Salas #5 – Neilson Gomes #6 – Eduard Folayang #7 – Zorobabel Moreira #8 – Anton Kuivanen #9 – Jordan Rinaldi #10 – J.P. Vainikainen |
| Welterweight | Middleweight | Light Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – Andre Santos #10 – Stephen Thompson |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
Andre Santos vs. Ivan Jorge
Bitetti Combat 10
Andre Santos vs. Julian Soares
Bitetti Combat 10
Andre Santos vs. Edilberto Crocota
Bitetti Combat 10
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