Thiago Santos will face Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on Saturday. Santos believes it’s the right time for a challenge like this.
“All my fights up to this point were very important – not just the wins, but also the losses,” Santos told MMA Junkie. “They helped me mature, to see where I was going wrong. Everything happened at the right time, as God willed it. It all brought and prepared me for this moment. I feel very ready. Everyone will be surprised.”
“Jon Jones is … Jon Jones,” Santos said. “He’s a phenomenal fighter. Without a doubt, he’s one of the best in the world. He’s managed to beat great fighters with a certain ease. But no one is unbeatable. Everyone has their moment. Now is my moment.
“This is the best phase in my career. I know it’s going to be a difficult fight. It’s going to be hard, but I have faith in the fact that I have what it takes to beat Jon Jones.”
“It’s hard to find someone like Jon Jones,” Santos said. “He’s very unique. That’s a challenge. We have some training partners who can at least come close. I start out my camp in Brazil, and finish things up at American Top Team. Everything is going quite well.”
“My goal is to win the light heavyweight belt and defend it,” Santos said. “But I’m still open to dropping back down to middleweight to capture that belt.”
“I’m very happy with this opportunity,” Santos said. “As a kid, I even made ends meet by collecting cardboard. I went through a lot of difficulties. Today, I’m in a biggest organization in the world, fighting against the best. I’m very thankful for that. I’m also very thankful for the love from my fans. On (Saturday), I’ll do everything in my power to bring the belt home, God willing.”
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