Mairon Santos had his hand raised following a 15-minute bout against Francis Marshall at UFC 313 in March, initially feeling victorious. However, upon reviewing the fight later, he felt his opponent might have done enough to earn the win.
Fighting at lightweight this Saturday due to accepting the fight on short notice, the *The Ultimate Fighter 32* featherweight winner is set to face Sodiq Yusuff, aiming for a much more conclusive victory at UFC Vegas 106.
Santos stated that he has used the previous fight as an opportunity for growth.
“I saw the mistakes and everything I did wrong in that fight, things I could have done right. Let’s move on and look at that as a lesson. At first I was brooding over that a lot because we know of our potential and get more frustrated about that than the fact someone was better than you.”
He continued:
“And I felt [the poor performance] was my fault, it were mistakes I made. I’m not taking anything away from the guy, he fought well, but I felt there were a lot of things I could have done better. I see this fight as a lesson. As a good lesson because I won. I’ve made the adjustments so I don’t make the same mistake again, so I can go out with a convincing victory this time.”
Santos indicated that his main challenge going into the Marshall fight was overconfidence in his striking power. He had previously stopped Kaan Ofli 90 seconds into the second round to secure the TUF 32 title seven months earlier and believed a single punch would be sufficient against Marshall.
“It was a lesson I learned, and for this fight I’ll be doing new things that will definitely be good for me,” Santos commented. He expressed happiness upon learning he would fight Yusuff, viewing it as a significant challenge that fighters seek, regardless of weight class. He also saw it as the UFC giving him a valuable opportunity despite his previous performance not being his best. “I know my potential, and the UFC also sees that,” he added.
Sodiq Yusuff, also making his debut in the UFC lightweight division, will step into the octagon for the tenth time. He returns to action a little over a year after a quick knockout loss, facing pressure after suffering consecutive defeats to Brazil`s Diego Lopes and Edson Barboza.
Santos is optimistic about the upcoming fight.
“It has everything to be a great fight for me,” he stated, reiterating his expectation for a knockout. “We always expect the knockout, so I’ll keep my word. I’ll knock him out in the second round.” He explained his mindset: “I didn’t respect my last opponent, and for this fight I want to respect him but not respect him at the same time, if you know what I mean. My hand will land eventually.” Santos believes Yusuff`s aggressive, forward-moving style plays to his advantage. “He walks forward and exposes himself a lot. I believe that favors me. My hope is that we’ll get the knockout in this fight — and finally a bonus [laughs],” he concluded.
