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Daniel Santos
Featherweight · “Willycat”

Daniel Santos

14-3-0 UFC 5-2-0
Relentless Attack Fast Starter Stuck On Bottom
5'7"Height
67"Reach
OrthodoxStance
31Age
2KO wins
0Sub wins
40.0%Finish rate
12:02Avg fight

Skill profile

Rated 0–100 · where 138 MMA has read him, his grades and tags set each axis and the stats only nudge inside his band · stats alone where he is silent · the rim is reserved for specialists
Striking — Average, rated 65 of 100 · 138 MMA: striking good · Oct 2026 · stats read 61 → nudged +2 inside the band · tag ko power: good (+3) · claims striking power +1, striking technique -1, kicking +2, pressure +2 (+4) Accuracy — Below avg, rated 25 of 100 · claims striking technique -1, counter striking -1 (-3) Striking D — Weak, rated 6 of 100 · claims striking defense -2, head movement +1 (-4) Durability — Below avg, rated 32 of 100 · stats only — nothing in his reads bears on this axis Wrestling — Above avg, rated 82 of 100 · claims td offense +1, clinch +1 (+3) TD Defense — Average, rated 45 of 100 · tag getup: poor (-10) · claims td defense -1, getup -2 (-5) Grappling — Average, rated 57 of 100 · 138 MMA whiteboard: grappling good · Oct 2026 · stats read 39 → nudged -6 inside the band · tag sub threat: good (+3) · claims sub offense +2, sub defense -1 (+3) Control — Average, rated 66 of 100 · claims top control -1 (-4) Striking Accuracy Striking D Durability Wrestling TD Defense Grappling Control
striking good
5 analyst reads graded this phase
  • good UFC 333 Full Card Preview & Predictions · October 17, 2026 watch ↗
  • good UFC Fight Night Allen vs Costa Full Card Preview & Predictions · May 10, 2026 watch ↗
  • good UFC 320 Full Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · September 30, 2025 watch ↗
  • good UFC 315 Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · May 6, 2025 watch ↗
  • good UFC Fight Night Emmett vs Murphy Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · March 31, 2025 watch ↗
grappling good whiteboard
6 analyst reads graded this phase
  • good UFC 333 Full Card Preview & Predictions · October 17, 2026 · whiteboard watch ↗
  • good UFC Fight Night Allen vs Costa Full Card Preview & Predictions · May 10, 2026 watch ↗
  • good UFC 320 Full Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · September 30, 2025 watch ↗
  • good UFC 315 Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · May 6, 2025 watch ↗
  • good UFC Fight Night Kara-France vs Albazi Predictions & Full Card Breakdown (UFC Vegas 74) · May 30, 2023 watch ↗
  • good UFC 288 Full Card Breakdown, Analysis, And Prediction · May 2, 2023 watch ↗
wrestling not yet read
cardio not yet read
durability not yet read
striking good 5 reads
grappling good 6 reads · whiteboard
wrestling not yet read
cardio not yet read
durability not yet read

138 MMA anchors Striking, Grappling · his tags and claims adjust Accuracy, Striking D, Wrestling, TD Defense, Control · stats alone on Durability.

Built on 84 minutes of tracked cage time across 7 statted fights — every axis is held down until there is more tape, so read this as a sketch rather than a verdict.

Relentless Attack 90 offensive actions per 15 min — strikes, takedown and submission attempts together
Fast Starter 138 MMA · May 2023 tags pace: fast starter
Stuck On Bottom 138 MMA · May 2026 tags getup: poor
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Sig. strikes landed / min5.14
Sig. strikes absorbed / min5.24
Striking accuracy41.6%
Striking defense48.6%
Knockdowns / 15 min0.36
Takedowns / 15 min2.49
Takedown accuracy34.1%
Takedown defense66.7%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.18
Control time26.7%
Record vs .500+ opponents3-2

Insider info

8 analyst reads · 138 MMA · our paraphrase, never his words
vs Bolaji Oki clear UFC 333 Full Card Preview & Predictions · October 17, 2026
strikinggood grapplinggood

He commits to Santos, reasoned on the submission-arsenal-vs-weak-sub-defense gap, with the striking judged close either way.

Puts everything into every strike -- good power, a good kick arsenal to all levels, a standout spinning sidekick, good knees, head movement and dirty boxing. Decent grappling with an active, dangerous back and a good submission arsenal; the pick rests on his submission threat outweighing Oki's shaky submission defense, with the striking judged competitive either way.

Strengthcommits fully to every strike
Strengthgood kick arsenal to all levels
Strengthgood submission arsenal, dangerous off his back
Strengthgood knees, head movement and dirty boxing
ko power · good
vs Dooho Choi coinflip UFC Fight Night Allen vs Costa Full Card Preview & Predictions · May 10, 2026 · 1 read since
strikinggood grapplinggood

He calls this his 'lowest confidence pick' on the card, admits he has flip-flopped on it repeatedly, and closes by saying twice, simply, 'I don't know.'

Daniel Santos is a good striker -- real power, a good leg kick, a good knee, and a very skilled spinning sidekick -- but he spins more than the analyst would like, and his striking defense can suffer because of it. He is a good grappler too, with decent takedowns and a good submission arsenal when active off his back, though he does not return to his feet often enough and risks getting stuck there for long stretches.

Strengthreal power, good leg kick and knee, a very skilled spinning sidekick
Weaknessspins more than ideal, which can expose his striking defense
Weaknessdoesn't get back to his feet often enough once grounded and can get stuck there
ko power · decentgetup · poor
vs Joo Sang Yoo lean UFC 320 Full Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · September 30, 2025 · 2 reads since
strikinggood grapplinggood

Calls the matchup a genuinely hard one to score and admits he does not know Yoo's grappling level, before settling on him for eye-catching striking -- heavy hedging surrounds a pick he still names plainly.

A good, high-output striker with good power, solid leg kicks and knees the analyst likes, but one whose defense lags his offense -- he spins often, which is noted as a real liability since it means giving up his back, and his striking defense is called pretty bad. His grappling is good on offense (decent takedowns, active from the back with a really good submission arsenal) but he can get stuck chasing subs if he ends up on bottom. The analyst calls him the clear higher-level, more tested fighter of the two.

Strengthgood power, leg kicks and knees
Strengthgood spinning sidekick
Strengthgood offensive grappling and a strong submission arsenal from the back
Weaknessspins too often and exposes his back doing it
Weaknessstriking defense called pretty bad
Weaknesscan get stuck on bottom chasing submissions
vs JeongYeong Lee lean UFC 315 Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · May 6, 2025 · 3 reads since
strikinggood grapplinggood

He explicitly says either guy could win this and expects a brawl, then sides with Lee on the strength of trusting his durability and body work 'a little bit more' -- a named winner on a narrow, stated margin rather than a confident read.

A good striker with real power whose best weapons are his leg kicks and knees; the analyst also likes his spinning side kick as a timing tool against an advancing opponent, since it meets incoming momentum head-on for extra force. His striking defense is called very poor, setting up a likely slugfest. His grappling is jiu-jitsu-first rather than blended -- if taken down he looks to work submissions from his back, which the analyst flags as a red flag since he can simply be held and controlled there instead.

Strengthgood striker, real power
Strengthvery good leg kicks and knees, his best weapons
Strengthliked spinning side kick as a timing/power tool
Strengthgood jiu-jitsu from the back
Weaknessvery poor striking defense
Weaknessgrappling is jiu-jitsu-only rather than blended -- content to work from the back instead of getting up, which invites being held down
ko power · goodgetup · poor
vs Davey Grant lean UFC Fight Night Emmett vs Murphy Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · March 31, 2025 · 4 reads since
strikinggood grapplinggood

He picks Grant off the strength of his prior outing, while openly calling Santos dangerous in this matchup and framing the pick itself as taking the underdog in a close fight.

A fairly strong striker who presses forward, throwing leg kicks and middle knees, and spins frequently -- including a spinning sidekick he calls a genuinely good weapon -- though those spins leave defensive gaps. His guard against strikes is below average. His Jiu-Jitsu stands out, staying busy off his back and hunting finishes with a fairly deep bag of submissions, but opponents pin him underneath fairly easily and stopping takedowns isn't a strength either. The analyst notes he's the younger man with fewer miles on him, and calls him a real live threat in this matchup even as the man he's picking against.

Strengthgood power striking
Strengthleg kicks
Strengthknees up the middle
Strengthgood spinning sidekick
Strengthreally good, active Jiu-Jitsu off the back
Strengthpretty good submission arsenal
Weaknessstriking defense not good
Weaknessspins open him up to counters
Weaknessgets stuck on his back easily
Weaknesstakedown defense not the best
ko power · good
vs Johnny Munoz Jr. lean UFC Fight Night Kara-France vs Albazi Predictions & Full Card Breakdown (UFC Vegas 74) · May 30, 2023 · 5 reads since
grapplinggood

He states plainly he is 'still going to pick' Santos, but explicitly says he is 'much less confident' than on an earlier breakdown of this same matchup and calls a Munoz win a real possibility.

Santos is read as clearly the better and more damaging striker, with powerful hands, effective spinning attacks, and knees up the middle that discourage takedown entries. His BJJ is active off the back but he can be held down, which costs him minutes. The pick favors him on a striking-pace path: pressuring Munoz early and making the fight hard for Munoz to control.

StrengthPowerful, varied striking including spins and knees up the middle
StrengthActive off his back on the ground
StrengthPressures opponents early with pace
WeaknessCan be held down on the mat
getup · poorpace · fast starter
vs Johnny Munoz Jr. lean UFC 288 Full Card Breakdown, Analysis, And Prediction · May 2, 2023 · 6 reads since
grapplinggood

Names Santos ('gonna pick Santos, wins more often than not') but immediately says he 'can't bet him' because of Munoz's kick-catching path to a leg lock -- wager caution, not outcome doubt, but it caps the grade below clear.

A wild, high-output striker who spins often -- the analyst dislikes spinning on principle but singles out the spinning side kick as genuinely good. Moves forward constantly with knees and leg kicks, landing the heavier shots of the two, but is hittable in exchanges. On the ground his BJJ is good; he can be controlled on his back but stays active from there.

Strengthpowerful, forward-moving striking
Strengthgood spinning side kick
Strengthknees and leg kicks on the move
Strengthactive off his back, good BJJ
Weaknessspins more than needed on the feet
Weaknesshittable while pressing forward
Weaknesscan be held down on his back
vs John Castaneda emphatic UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Dern vs Yan Full Card Analysis, Preview, and Prediction · September 28, 2022 · 7 reads since

He states a specific, very high numeric estimate for Castaneda winning and separately says the opponent has very little chance on the scorecards, needing a finish to have any real path. His stock 'not quite a sure thing' disclaimer, used elsewhere on this card too, does not meaningfully temper the stated near-certainty here.

A wild, exciting style built around highlight-reel spinning strikes and real submission ability from both top and bottom position, but with only one prior UFC fight (a loss) and otherwise regional-scene experience. The analyst says his only realistic path to winning is a finish, since he has very little chance in a decision.

Strengthgood submission ability (arm bars, triangles)
Strengthhighlight-reel finishing threat via spinning strikes
Weaknessminimal UFC experience (one fight, a loss)
Weaknessvery little chance of winning a decision
sub threat · goodcompetition quality · untested

Striking trend

Sig. strikes/min, last 7 fights · green = win
April 9, 2022 vs Julio Arce — 3.27/min (L) Apr '22 October 1, 2022 vs John Castaneda — 7.29/min (W) Oct '22 June 3, 2023 vs Johnny Munoz — 3.33/min (W) Jun '23 May 10, 2025 vs JeongYeong Lee — 6.0/min (W) May '25 October 4, 2025 vs JooSang Yoo — 5.05/min (W) Oct '25 May 16, 2026 vs Dooho Choi — 7.59/min (L) May '26 October 24, 2026 vs Bolaji Oki — 5.07/min (W) Oct '26

Fight history

7 UFC bouts · newest first · opponent records as of fight night
W Bolaji Oki 2-3 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev · October 24, 2026
76/159Sig. strikes
69/107Absorbed
2/5Takedowns
1:40Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
L Dooho Choi 16-4-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 4:29 — UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa · May 16, 2026
72/182Sig. strikes
72/138Absorbed
0/6Takedowns
0:54Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W JooSang Yoo 1-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 0:21 — UFC 320: Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2 · October 4, 2025
27/62Sig. strikes
31/55Absorbed
1/2Takedowns
1:23Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W JeongYeong Lee 2-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena · May 10, 2025
90/184Sig. strikes
68/150Absorbed
6/18Takedowns
6:06Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Johnny Munoz 12-2 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs. Albazi · June 3, 2023
50/91Sig. strikes
18/39Absorbed
3/4Takedowns
10:47Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W John Castaneda 17-5 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 4:28 — UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · October 1, 2022
69/134Sig. strikes
57/106Absorbed
2/4Takedowns
0:52Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Julio Arce 17-5 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · April 9, 2022
49/229Sig. strikes
127/265Absorbed
0/2Takedowns
0:46Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts

Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.

Record breakdown

Full pro career (Wikipedia, results only)
14-3-0Pro record
Chute Boxe Diego LimaGym / team

Wins by method

KO/TKO 7
Submission 2
Decision 5
Other 0

Losses by method

KO/TKO 1
Submission 0
Decision 2
Other 0

Fights by organization

UFC 6
Fighten Decagon MMA 2
Brave CF 1
Future FC 1
ACA 1
ACB 1
Thunder Fight 1
Copa Euro 1

+ 3 more organizations in the full career list

Full career — 17 fights, every organization
OpponentMethodEventOrg RdTime
L Choi Doo-ho TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa
May 16, 2026
UFC 2 4:29
W Yoo Joo-sang TKO (punches) UFC 320
October 4, 2025
UFC 2 0:21
W Lee Jeong-yeong Decision (unanimous) UFC 315
May 10, 2025
UFC 3 5:00
W Johnny Muñoz Jr. Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi
June 3, 2023
UFC 3 5:00
W John Castañeda KO (punches and knee) UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan
October 1, 2022
UFC 2 4:28
L Julio Arce Decision (unanimous) UFC 273
April 9, 2022
UFC 3 5:00
W Nizambek Abdrashitov Submission (armbar) Brave CF 32
December 14, 2019
Brave CF 1 2:37
W Henrique Fantini TKO (spinning back kick) Future FC 6
June 28, 2019
Future FC 1 2:21
L Murad Kalamov Decision (unanimous) ACA 91
January 26, 2019
ACA 3 5:00
W Dukvaha Astamirov Decision (majority) ACB 80
February 16, 2018
ACB 3 5:00
W Cleverson Silva TKO (spinning back kick to the body) Fighten Decagon MMA 3
September 11, 2016
Fighten Decagon MMA 1 3:10
W Jose Alexandre TKO (punches and knees) Thunder Fight 6
April 2, 2016
Thunder Fight 3 3:30
W Lucas Eurico KO Copa Euro 1
October 6, 2015
Copa Euro 2 0:20
W Irwing Romero Machado Decision (unanimous) Fighten Decagon MMA 2
August 22, 2015
Fighten Decagon MMA 3 5:00
W Ary dos Santos Technical Submission (anaconda choke) Arena Fight Uberlândia 8
March 30, 2015
Arena Fight Uberlândia 3 2:42
W Jose Mauro dos Santos KO (spinning back elbow) Fatality Arena 6
March 30, 2014
Fatality Arena 2 —
W Caio Forastieri Decision (unanimous) Warriors of God 1
August 17, 2013
Warriors of God 3 5:00

Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Daniel Santos (fighter)) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.

Division context

vs. 134 qualified Featherweight fighters · tick = division mean
Striking volume /min 5.1 avg 3.6
Strikes absorbed /min 5.2 avg 3.6
Striking accuracy 41.6% avg 45.0%
Striking defense 48.6% avg 55.3%
Takedowns /15 min 2.5 avg 1.5
Takedown accuracy 34.1% avg 37.4%
Takedown defense 66.7% avg 60.2%
Sub attempts /15 min 0.2 avg 0.6
Control time 26.7% avg 20.1%
Finish rate 40.0% avg 44.2%

Headshot of Daniel Santos by UFC · Official UFC athlete photo (copyright UFC; not freely licensed) · Wikimedia Commons · flattened onto dark background, cropped/resized