Credit:Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
Taila
Santos got started in combat sports as a teenager, and by the
time the UFC came to her hometown, she herself as almost ready to
step into the cage for the first time as a professional.
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“I started practicing muay Thai when I was 14. When I was 19 years
old, the UFC came to my city (Jaragua do Sul), and I was able to
get an autograph from Vitor
Belfort one day before he knocked out [Luke] Rockhold,” Santos
told Sherdog.com.
Coincidentally, Santos made her MMA debut three months after UFC
passed through her city. Since then, she has been victorious in 19
of 20 fights and will take a four-bout winning streak into her
matchup with reigning flyweight queen Valentina
Shevchenko in the UFC 275 co-main event on June 11.
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“My background is muay Thai, but I improved my wrestling and ground
skills a lot lately. I´m prepared wherever the fight goes. No doubt
Valentina is one of the most well-rounded girls out there, but she
is not an ET and I´ll show that on June 11.”
When it comes to rating the best female fighters of all-time,
Santos believes Shevchenko is almost at the very top: “1. Amanda
Nunes, 2. Valentina
Shevchenko and 3. Cyborg.”
Currently the biggest underdog on the UFC 275 card, Santos uses
Julianna
Pena’s upset victory over Nunes at UFC 269 as inspiration to
pull the upset.
“Those numbers just motivate me to shock the world. Respect cannot
mean fear,” Santos said. “Pena fought Amanda stepping forward, not
fearing, and that’s how she won. I´m going to do the same against
Valentina. Take note, I´ll defy the odds and bring this belt to
Brazil.”