Leonardo Santos has decided to hang up his gloves.
Santos (18-6-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC), said he had no intentions of retiring prior to his fight with Jared Gordon at UFC 278 on Aug. 20. The 42-year-old Nova Uniao fighter said he still had the passion for the sport, and saw no reason to stop.
However, after losing to Gordon by unanimous decision and dropping his third straight fight overall, Santos has had a change of heart. He took to Instagram to announce the news with a statement in Portuguese.
Santos exits the sport with a winning record. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace entered the UFC in 2013 by winning Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” with a submission of William Macario. In 11 UFC fights, Santos’ career highlights include knockouts of former interim title challenger Kevin Lee and current 2022 PFL finalist Stevie Ray.
‘TUF: Brazil 2’ winner Leonardo Santos retires from MMA: ‘It’s time to hang up the gloves’
