Taila
Santos admits she did not part ways with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship on the best terms.
The Brazilian fought
Valentina
Shevchenko for the undisputed women’s flyweight crown at UFC
275, where she lost a contentious five-round split decision in the
co-main event on June 12, 2022. Despite calls for a rematch, it
never materialized. Santos was instead paired with
Erin
Blanchfield the following February before visa issues bumped
their bout to August.
“After the Valentina fight, we were expecting a rematch,” Santos
told Sherdog.com. “Everyone wanted to see us fight again. I was the
first girl to put her in danger. I showed that she had shortcomings
in her ground game. It was a great fight. Everyone wanted to see a
rematch. We kept asking for it. There was no answer. Time went by,
so I got booked against Erin.”
Santos dropped a unanimous decision to Blanchfield at UFC Fight
Night 225. A little more than two months later, it was announced
that she was no longer under contract with the organization.
“We had been unhappy with the UFC after waiting so long for the
Valentina rematch,” Santos said. “The UFC kept pitching opponents
who weren’t even ranked instead. I had such a great fight [against
the champion], so why would I take an unranked opponent next? And
there was that waiting game after every fight. We had to keep
sending emails. An athlete would rather have a predictable
schedule, such as three fights per year. I was pretty much fighting
once a year.”
The 30-year-old Santos eventually signed with the
Professional Fighters League and will make her company debut
opposite
Ilara
Joanne as part of the
PFL 1 undercard on April 4 at the Boeing Center in San Antonio.
She likes the position in which she finds herself, especially with
the PFL’s acquisition of
Bellator
MMA.
“The promotion is much bigger now,” Santos said. “Fighters have
left the UFC for the PFL, such as
Francis
Ngannou, and with the Bellator purchase, the roster is bigger
and cards have more bouts. Without a doubt, they’ll grow even
more.”
Ahead of her forthcoming battle with Joanne, Santos carries the
weight of a two-fight losing streak on her shoulders. The onetime
Astra Fight Team rep now operates her own camp, where she sharpens
her MMA and muay thai skills under
Adoniran
dos Santos.
“Our training camp is very open,” Santos said. “We bring in girls
who fight in my weight class, depending on who my next opponent
will be.”
Santos concedes the potential of a seven-figure payday at the end
of the PFL season was a selling point in her decision to sign with
the promotion.
“I see it as an incentive,” she said. “Every athlete in a big
promotion hopes to be well-paid. This grand prix can be a
life-changer. I’m very happy with my contract. Now I know how
frequently I’ll fight, plus there’s that million [dollars] at the
end. It’s further motivation.”