Daniel Santos (fighter)
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Daniel Gustavo Gonzaga Santos (born March 12, 1995) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Early life and background
Santos was born in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He later relocated to São Paulo, where he trained under the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team. Before turning professional, he lived in rural Brazil and worked in agriculture. He holds a black grade in Muay Thai from Kickboxing Academy and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu‑jitsu, and he competed in ten amateur Muay Thai bouts, winning all of them. Santos has cited Charles Oliveira, Thomas Almeida, and Fedor Emelianenko as key influences on his career.
Santos began training in mixed martial arts in 2011 after being inspired by a televised Anderson Silva fight. Early in his training, he earned the nickname Willycat after performing an unusually high sprawl that made it difficult for partners to take him down; his coach compared the movement to a cat, referencing the ThunderCats character.
Professional mixed martial arts career
Early career
Santos began his professional career competing in regional Brazilian promotions, where he captured a Fatality Arena title in Rio de Janeiro and built the record that eventually led to his signing with the UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Santos made his debut with the UFC on April 9, 2022 against Julio Arce at UFC 273. At the weigh-ins, Arce weighed in at 136.5 pounds, half a pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse which went to Santos. Santos lost the bout via unanimous decision.
Santos faced John Castañeda on October 1, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 211. He won the fight by knockout in the second round with a knee. This bout earned them a Fight of the Night award.
Santos and Johnny Muñoz Jr. were expected to meet on May 6, 2023 at UFC 288, but the bout was scrapped after Santos withdrew due to an undisclosed injury. They eventually faced each other on June 3, 2023 at UFC on ESPN 46, where Santos won by unanimous decision.
Returning to the featherweight division, Santos faced Lee Jeong-yeong on May 10, 2025 at UFC 315 and won the bout via unanimous decision.
Santos was scheduled to face Choi Doo-ho on September 28, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 260. However, due to injury, Choi was replaced by Yoo Joo-sang. In addition, for unknown reasons, the bout was moved to UFC 320, which took place on October 4, 2025. Their bout was changed to a catchweight bout of 153 pounds due to both fighters weighing in over the featherweight bout limit. Santos won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.
Santos' bout with Choi was re-scheduled to take place on May 9, 2026 at UFC 328. However, it was later moved to UFC Fight Night 276 one week later on May 16, 2026 for unknown reasons. Santos lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round. This fight earned him a $100,000 Fight of the Night award.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. John Castañeda and Choi Doo-ho
Mixed martial arts record
| 17 matches | 14 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 1 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 14–3 | Choi Doo-ho | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa | May 16, 2026 | 2 | 4:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 14–2 | Yoo Joo-sang | TKO (punches) | UFC 320 | October 4, 2025 | 2 | 0:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (153 lb) bout. |
| Win | 13–2 | Lee Jeong-yeong | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 315 | May 10, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Featherweight. |
| Win | 12–2 | Johnny Muñoz Jr. | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi | June 3, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Santos was deducted one point in round 3 due to a groin strike. |
| Win | 11–2 | John Castañeda | KO (punches and knee) | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan | October 1, 2022 | 2 | 4:28 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (140 lb) bout. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 10–2 | Julio Arce | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 273 | April 9, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Catchweight (136.5 lb) bout; Arce missed weight. |
| Win | 10–1 | Nizambek Abdrashitov | Submission (armbar) | Brave CF 32 | December 14, 2019 | 1 | 2:37 | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | |
| Win | 9–1 | Henrique Fantini | TKO (spinning back kick) | Future FC 6 | June 28, 2019 | 1 | 2:21 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Loss | 8–1 | Murad Kalamov | Decision (unanimous) | ACA 91 | January 26, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Grozny, Russia | |
| Win | 8–0 | Dukvaha Astamirov | Decision (majority) | ACB 80 | February 16, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Krasnodar, Russia | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 7–0 | Cleverson Silva | TKO (spinning back kick to the body) | Fighten Decagon MMA 3 | September 11, 2016 | 1 | 3:10 | Londrina, Brazil | Return to Bantamweight. |
| Win | 6–0 | Jose Alexandre | TKO (punches and knees) | Thunder Fight 6 | April 2, 2016 | 3 | 3:30 | São Paulo, Brazil | Flyweight debut. |
| Win | 5–0 | Lucas Eurico | KO | Copa Euro 1 | October 6, 2015 | 2 | 0:20 | Uberlândia, Brazil | Bantamweight bout. |
| Win | 4–0 | Irwing Romero Machado | Decision (unanimous) | Fighten Decagon MMA 2 | August 22, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Londrina, Brazil | Featherweight debut. |
| Win | 3–0 | Ary dos Santos | Technical Submission (anaconda choke) | Arena Fight Uberlândia 8 | March 30, 2015 | 3 | 2:42 | Uberlândia, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Jose Mauro dos Santos | KO (spinning back elbow) | Fatality Arena 6 | March 30, 2014 | 2 | N/A | Niterói, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Caio Forastieri | Decision (unanimous) | Warriors of God 1 | August 17, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Uberlândia, Brazil | Bantamweight debut. |