Taila
Santos (20-3) declared that getting a
Professional Fighters League championship belt wrapped around
her waist would be the epitome of her career.
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A former
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title challenger,
Santos’ signing with the PFL in March came as a surprise to many.
The Brazilian took a huge lead in the race to the PFL 2024 regular
season playoffs with a first-round submission win over Ilara
Joanne in her SmartCage debut in April.
Santos now takes on undefeated prospect Jena Bishop
(7-0) at
2024 PFL 4 Regular Season on June 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in
Uncasville, Connecticut. A win over Bishop would likely secure a
playoff spot for Santos, where a path to the $1 million is laid.
Santos claims a PFL championship victory will fulfill a lifetime of
hard work and dedication.
“The experience with the PFL has been nothing short of amazing,”
Santos said at PFL media day. “The guys up here are great; it’s
been a really pleasant fight week — this one and the last one. So,
it’s been awesome. As far [as] this championship run, this is the
pinnacle of my career. This is what I’ve been fighting for quite
literally, what I’ve been competing for, training for and preparing
throughout my entire career. So, it’s a moment I’m looking forward
to.”
Santos came up on the short side of a controversial split decision
in her UFC bantamweight title bid against Valentina
Shevchenko at UFC 275 back in June 2022. While that might have
been a bitter pill to swallow, Santos claims a PFL title win will
mean much more for her than just getting over that loss.
“Yeah, this would be a dream come true. I’ve been doing this
forever, really, I’ve been training since a very young age. It’s
more than just that fight, it’s the pinnacle of my career. It’s
everything I’ve had to let go of. It’s all the sacrifices I’ve made
in my life to be able to live that moment of having a belt wrapped
around my waist.”