Evangelista Santos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evangelista Santos |
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| Born | 12 December 1977 Rondonopolis, Brazil |
| Other names | Cyborg |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Division | Light Heavyweight Middleweight Welterweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Team | Chute Boxe Academy The Arena |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cristiano Marcello |
| Years active | 1997–2014, 2015–2016 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 39 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 14 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 18 |
| By knockout | 12 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (divorced) |
Evangelista Santos (born December 12, 1977) is a retired mixed martial artist from Brazil. He is often called "Cyborg." From 1997 to 2016, Santos competed in many big fighting organizations. These included Strikeforce, Bellator MMA, and the PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Santos was known for his exciting fighting style. A lot of his wins, 14 out of 21, came from knockouts. He even fought for the Strikeforce Welterweight Title once.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Evangelista Santos grew up in Rondonopolis, Brazil. His childhood was not always easy. When he was 12, he was exposed to animal fighting, which was common in Brazil at the time.
After spending five years caring for fighting roosters, he started training in kickboxing. This led him to vale tudo when he was 18. Vale tudo is an early form of mixed martial arts. Santos also became a four-time national champion in Muay Thai in Brazil.
Fighting Career
Starting Out
Santos became a professional fighter at 20 years old. He won his first two fights. Then he faced a famous Brazilian fighter, Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons, and lost by TKO.
He won his first two fights with the British Cage Rage organization. After that, he returned to Brazil's Jungle Fight. There, he knocked out Michal Materla, who later became a champion. This was Materla's only knockout loss ever.
Santos then fought Melvin "No Mercy" Manhoef for a championship. It was an exciting fight with many punches. But Santos lost after being knocked out. He won his next two fights, including one against future UFC fighter Francis Carmont. After these wins, he made his debut in PRIDE FC.
Fighting in Japan: PRIDE and Sengoku
In Japan, Santos fought for PRIDE FC. His first fight was against Kazuhiro Nakamura, a submission expert. Santos lost this fight by a submission move called a keylock.
His next fight in Japan was against boxer Yosuke Nishijima. Santos won this one by a rear-naked choke submission. Later, he fought for the Cage Rage championship again but lost. He also lost to Gegard Mousasi by TKO.
Santos then joined World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku Raiden Championships. He won his first fight there against Makoto Takimoto with an achilles lock submission. In his last fight for this organization, he lost due to an arm injury.
Strikeforce Challenges
Santos joined Strikeforce in June 2009. He was the main fighter at an event but lost to Joey Villasenor by a split decision. In his next fight, he beat Marius Zaromskis.
On January 29, 2011, Santos challenged Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce Welterweight Title. He lost the fight in the second round by an armbar submission.
Santos was supposed to fight Paul Daley later but had to pull out because of a shoulder injury. He then fought Jordan Mein and lost by TKO in the third round. After a long break, Santos asked to leave Strikeforce so he could fight more often. His request was granted.
Later Fights and Retirement
After almost two years away, Santos returned to fighting in January 2016 for Legacy Fighting Championship 50. He won this fight by a unanimous decision.
In April 2014, Santos had a rematch with Melvin Manhoef. He had lost to Manhoef before, and he lost again by knockout in the first round. Santos announced his retirement shortly after this fight.
However, he signed a contract with Bellator MMA in March 2016. He won his first fight there by submission. He then fought Saad Awad and lost. His last fight was on July 16, 2016, against Michael "Venom" Page. Santos was defeated by a flying knee, which caused a serious facial injury.
Santos officially retired in January 2017. He spent a year coaching in Brazil. In 2018, he moved back to the USA and started coaching at his own gym in Texas. He confirmed in August 2018 that he had no plans to fight again.
Life Outside the Ring
Evangelista Santos was married to another famous MMA fighter, Cristiane Justino. They were married from 2005 to 2011. During their marriage, she started using his nickname, "Cyborg," for herself.
See also
- List of Bellator MMA alumni
- List of Strikeforce alumni
