Latest news with #LuanaSantos
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Luana Santos proud to 'leave a little mark' in UFC record books with historic finish
Luana Santos proud to 'leave a little mark' in UFC record books with historic finish Show Caption Hide Caption UFC's Luana Santos breaks down historic submission in women's MMA UFC Fight Night 256 winner Luana Santos talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after her second-round submission of Tainara Lisboa. LAS SANTOS – Luana Santos is proud to achieve a moment inside the octagon that will last forever at UFC Fight Night 256. Records are made to be broken, but for Santos (9-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), she did something that can never be repeated when she earned the first Americana submission by any female in UFC history when she finished Tainara Lisboa in the second round of their bantamweight bout this past Saturday. "Very happy because it's making history – I always tell people that I want to leave a little mark," Santos told MMA Junkie through an interpreter after her win. "You know about the dances that I always put on, but to be the first Americana finish, and before this fight I said I said I. Want to have a safe fight, I want to have a cautious fight because I want to come out and get back into the win column. As it turns out, not only I did put on a show, but I ended with the first Americana submission. I'm happy." Santos said that her coaches encouraged her to throw strikes with the fight hit the mat, but her instincts led to locking up the submission. "I knew when I got her in the Americana, one of her arms was caught and stuck, so she wasn't going to be able to tap anyways," Santos said. "I heard her say, 'That's it, that's it, that's it.' The ref did not hear it but I kept looking at him like, 'Dude, she said it.' At one point I freed her up and she said it." After starting her UFC career 3-0 at women's flyweight, Santos lost to Casey O'Neill at UFC 305 in August. The result prompted her to shift back to 135 pounds, where she started her career. Now she has to decide if she wants to stay there. I have one foot in on one, and another in on the other," Santos said. "I feel good about this. Bantamweight is what I used to fight at for a long time before coming to the UFC. I just wanted to test myself at 125 and I did it, but this felt really good, the weight cuts were really good. I felt strong. This may be my home."
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 256 video: Luana Santos finishes Tainara Lisboa with historic submission
UFC Fight Night 256 video: Luana Santos finishes Tainara Lisboa with historic submission Luana Santos was a force to be reckoned with at UFC Fight Night 256. Santos (9-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) dominated Tainara Lisboa (7-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with superior grappling in Saturday's women's bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, locking in an Americana to finish the fight by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. Check out a replay of the brutal submission below (via X): Santos was emotional after her one-sided performance, which marked the first Americana finish in women's UFC competition. "I've been training a lot of new things," Santos said through an interpreter during her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. "I'm getting better. I came to smash girls. You're going to see me against better ones." Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 256 results
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luana Santos calls bantamweight return at UFC Vegas 106 a ‘shortcut' to title fight
Luana Santos started her UFC career as a flyweight, but her future may be at bantamweight. At 25, she returns to the 135-pound division to face Tainara Lisboa at UFC Vegas 106 on Saturday looking to make an important decision. Santos was booked to fight once before at bantamweight in the UFC, but badly missed the target, coming in at nearly 140 pounds. Doctors discovered the young Brazilian had Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune condition that can lead to weight gain by affecting the thyroid gland. Santos took medication to get the disease under control and she went 1-1 as a flyweight, but it just made sense to return to bantamweight after struggling with stomach issues before and after the cut for her recent bout with Casey O'Neill. Advertisement On top of that, Santos sees the bantamweight class as being so shallow it could mean a quicker rise to the top. 'Not that it's easier… but it is,' Santos told MMA Fighting. 'I think the 125 division is more competitive than 135. And if I can fight at 135, why not take the shortcut? For example, Tainara was ranked after only two fights in the UFC. She didn't beat anyone relevant to be ranked. It's easier to climb [the ranking] at 135 than 125. If I have the strength and size to be at 135, why continue battling my body to cut to 125 if I'm only 25 and will definitely not be a flyweight in the future?' Santos' decision is not set in stone yet. A future at bantamweight depends on her performance against Lisboa and possibly her next fight, but the move makes sense right now. 'I'm not a small girl for 135. Quite the opposite,' Santos said. 'I fought at 135 before and I will try that again. Let's see how it goes. If I win this one and the next, let's do it. It all depends on how the fight goes and how I feel in there.' Advertisement Lisboa is older than Santos and hasn't fought in 18 months due to a battle with a career-threatening left knee injury. Santos won't overlook her opponent, but sees the scenario as more favorable for her at UFC Vegas 106. 'I think Tainara is a very tough and experienced girl,' Santos said. 'She's almost 10 years older than me but if we're talking MMA, we have almost the same experience. Her striking is more Muay Thai oriented, she has good jiu-jitsu, but I think I can be superior than her in that area. The two losses she had were against girls who have done that type of game.' 'I think it's a great matchup,' she added. 'She's coming off a knee injury and I don't know how her head will be after more than a year off. I think she's tough. I don't think it's going to be an easy fight, but I think there's a great chance I come out with the win.' More from
