UFC free fight: Thiago Santos breaks down Eryk Anders in Sao Paulo

Thiago Santos showed the world just why he’s nicknamed “Marreta” at UFC Fight Night 137 when he finished Eryk Anders after three punishing rounds in Sao Paulo.

Anders stepped in as a short-notice substitute to replace the injured Jimi Manuwa in the main event in Brazil, but found Santos in irresistible form as he was eventually broken down and stopped on his stool after receiving a barrage of strikes from the power-punching Brazilian.

Santos looked to establish his striking early, but was taken down quickly by Anders, who was keen to neutralize the Brazilian’s striking arsenal. But “Marreta” worked his way back up and scored with strikes after breaking free of Anders’ clinch.

The game plan for both men remained unchanged in Round 2, with Santos looking to punish Anders on the feet, and Anders looking to take the action to the mat. This time it was Santos who ended up on top, and the Brazilian scored with ground strikes, while Anders looked to grab a submission off his back.

The third round saw Santos load up, but Anders successfully managed to get into range to land a takedown and took the Brazilian’s back. However, Santos defended well to avoid a potential rear-naked choke and fought his way back to his feet before letting fly with his strikes.

Anders once again pushed for a takedown, but was mat with a salvo of elbows to the head as he attempted to lock his hands for a double-leg. When the buzzer sounded to end the round, Santos returned to his corner, but Anders could not, as he stumbled to the floor and was unable to regain his balance. Referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight and Santos claimed a third-round TKO victory.

Santos (21-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC) returns to action Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 40, where he’ll take on fellow countryman Glover Teixeira (31-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) in the main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before Santos’ octagon return, relive his victory over Anders via the video above.