Daniel Santos (fighter)
| Daniel Santos | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1995 Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Other names | Willycat |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg) |
| Division | Featherweight |
| Reach | 67 in (170 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Team | Chute Boxe Diego Lima |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 14 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 0 |
| By submission | 0 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Daniel "Willycat" Santos (born March 12, 1995) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[1]
Early life and background
Daniel Santos was born on March 12, 1995, in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.[2] He later relocated to São Paulo, where he trained under the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team.[3] Before turning professional, Santos competed in amateur Muay Thai and MMA bouts.[4]
Professional mixed martial arts career
Early career
Santos began his professional MMA career competing in regional Brazilian promotions, where he quickly built a strong record that led to his signing with the UFC.[5]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Santos made his UFC debut in 2022.[5] As of October 2025, he holds a professional record of 14 wins and 2 losses.[3]
On October 5, 2025, Santos defeated Joo Sang Yoo by knockout in the second round at UFC 320 in Las Vegas, marking his first KO victory in four years.[6]
Mixed martial arts record
| 16 matches | 14 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 0 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 14–2 | Joo Sang Yoo | KO (punches) | UFC 320 | October 5, 2025 | 2 | N/A | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 13–2 | Jeong Yeong Lee | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 315 | May 10, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Johnny Muñoz Jr. | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN 46 | June 3, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 11–2 | John Castañeda | KO (punches and knee) | UFC Fight Night 211 | October 1, 2023 | 2 | 3:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 10–2 | Julio Arce | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 273 | April 9, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Felipe Colares | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 101 | March 15, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 9–1 | Alexandre Barros | Submission (rear-naked choke) | SFT 12 | September 7, 2019 | 1 | 2:30 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Win | 8–1 | Marcos Cordeiro | TKO (punches) | Future FC 8 | May 18, 2019 | 2 | 1:15 | Campinas, Brazil | |
| Loss | 7–1 | Fabricio Sarraff | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 90 | December 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 7–0 | Joao Camilo | Submission (armbar) | Shooto Brazil 84 | May 26, 2018 | 1 | 3:10 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–0 | Gilberto Dias | TKO (punches) | Shooto Brazil 79 | December 17, 2017 | 1 | 4:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–0 | Fabricio Oliveira | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 75 | August 26, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–0 | Vinicius Oliveira | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 72 | April 1, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | Marcos Carvalho | TKO (punches) | Shooto Brazil 70 | December 10, 2016 | 1 | 2:48 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Renan Oliveira | Submission (guillotine choke) | Shooto Brazil 68 | July 23, 2016 | 1 | 1:20 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Marcos Vinicius | Submission (armbar) | Shooto Brazil 65 | March 12, 2016 | 1 | 2:41 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Professional debut. |
References
- ^ "Daniel". Sherdog.
- ^ "Daniel Santos ("Willycat") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology.
- ^ a b "Daniel Santos (Featherweight) MMA Profile". ESPN.
- ^ UFC athlete profile – Daniel Santos
- ^ a b Bitter, Shawn (Apr 9, 2022). "Welcome to the UFC: Daniel Santos".
- ^ Cruz, Guilherme (Oct 4, 2025). "Daniel Santos wants to flatline 'Zombie Jr.' at UFC 320 for first knockout in 4 years". MMA Fighting: UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) News, Results.