vs
-175 +170
UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · Apr 09, 2022 · Catchweight (136.5 lb) · Completed
Prev Fight UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie
Age 36
Height 5' 7"
Reach 70.0"
Weight 145 lbs.
Stance Southpaw
Age 31
Height 5' 7"
Reach 67.0"
Weight 135 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages - Julio Arce
4.36 SLpM
36.0% Str. Acc.
3.05 SApM
68.0% Str. Def.
0.46 TD Avg
28.0% TD Acc.
96.0% TD Def.
0.3 Sub. Avg
Career Averages - Daniel Santos
4.76 SLpM
40.0% Str. Acc.
5.03 SApM
51.0% Str. Def.
3.01 TD Avg
40.0% TD Acc.
73.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Julio Arce
Moneyline
BetWay -175
KO/TKO
FanDuel +500
Submission
DraftKings +500
Decision
FanDuel +155
Daniel Santos
Moneyline
DraftKings +170
KO/TKO
BetRivers +550
Submission
BetRivers +1400
Decision
DraftKings +400
Julio Arce - Fight History
WIN vs Herbert Burns
TKO (punches) R2 2:00 · UFC on ESPN: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot · Mar 30, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Julio Arce 2 29 of 79 36% 29 of 79 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:08
Herbert Burns 0 15 of 57 26% 20 of 63 0 of 6 0% 0 0 1:16
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Julio Arce 0 10 of 38 26% 10 of 38 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:06
Herbert Burns 0 11 of 37 29% 16 of 43 0 of 5 0% 0 0 0:50
2 Julio Arce 2 19 of 41 46% 19 of 41 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Herbert Burns 0 4 of 20 20% 4 of 20 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:26
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Julio Arce 29 of 79 36% 19 of 65 9 of 12 1 of 2 20 of 68 9 of 11 0 of 0
Herbert Burns 15 of 57 26% 9 of 45 5 of 10 1 of 2 13 of 55 2 of 2 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Julio Arce 10 of 38 26% 5 of 31 5 of 7 0 of 0 9 of 37 1 of 1 0 of 0
Herbert Burns 11 of 37 29% 7 of 29 3 of 6 1 of 2 10 of 36 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Julio Arce 19 of 41 46% 14 of 34 4 of 5 1 of 2 11 of 31 8 of 10 0 of 0
Herbert Burns 4 of 20 20% 2 of 16 2 of 4 0 of 0 3 of 19 1 of 1 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 24, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Angelo is confident Julio Arce will win, citing his solid striking, volume, and 94% takedown defense. He criticizes Herbert Burns for quitting in his last fight and doubts Burns can get takedowns. However, he avoids betting due to Arce's long layoff and steep -550 price.

"Julio rce should win this fight if Julio wasn't coming off his own very long layoff I actually would consider him for the safety parlay but at minus 550 with a full year away I'm just going to enjoy whatever …"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Mar 28, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Cody is wary of Arce's layoff, weight class move, and injuries, but still picks him because Burns is unreliable and quits when his early submission doesn't work. He thinks Arce's volume and durability will carry him, but the -400 price is unappealing.

"I can never bet Herbert Birds just can't do it but I will admit at minus 400"
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Hesitant picked Mar 27, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Daniel Vreeland picks Julio Arce but calls it a dog-or-pass situation at -400. He acknowledges Arce's solid striking and takedown defense but notes Burns' elite jiu-jitsu and motivation. He thinks Burns could get an early submission if Arce makes a mistake, but Arce is the safer pick. He won't lay the price.

"the pick is Julio but this is a doger pass situation at these odds"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 26, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Arce is a talented Muay Thai striker with head kicks and combinations. Burns has a terrible gas tank and fades if he doesn't finish early. Arce should stay at distance, land pot shots, and work the body. Burns will present early danger but Arce will take over in the second and third rounds, finishing via TKO. Prediction: Arce round 3.

Arce round 3
"I'm going to go RSA RSA round three give him a little time to really get into his Groove and then from there get burns out of there"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Mar 28, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul agrees with Cody's assessment, noting Burns' history of quitting and Arce's potential advantages. He doesn't love the price but sees Arce as the likely winner.

"I can see why Julio Arch would be the favorite but at minus 400 is there any meat on the bone"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 27, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

The host picks Julio Arce to survive an early storm from Herbert Burns and then take over. He believes Burns will go for a takedown early, but Arce will work his way out. Once things don't go Burns' way, he expects Burns to break and fade. He predicts a late second-round TKO for Arce.

late second round TKO
"I'm going to go with Julio late second round TKO"
LOSS vs Montel Jackson
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira · Nov 12, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Montel Jackson 0 26 of 126 20% 44 of 156 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:06
Julio Arce 1 48 of 106 45% 64 of 127 0 of 3 0% 0 0 5:55
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Montel Jackson 0 4 of 22 18% 9 of 27 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:06
Julio Arce 0 5 of 17 29% 15 of 29 0 of 1 0% 0 0 2:09
2 Montel Jackson 0 15 of 58 25% 25 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Julio Arce 0 19 of 46 41% 24 of 54 0 of 2 0% 0 0 1:12
3 Montel Jackson 0 7 of 46 15% 10 of 57 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Julio Arce 1 24 of 43 55% 25 of 44 0 of 0 --- 0 0 2:34
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Montel Jackson 26 of 126 20% 13 of 102 8 of 17 5 of 7 25 of 124 1 of 2 0 of 0
Julio Arce 48 of 106 45% 39 of 95 5 of 7 4 of 4 33 of 82 4 of 5 11 of 19
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Montel Jackson 4 of 22 18% 2 of 16 1 of 3 1 of 3 4 of 22 0 of 0 0 of 0
Julio Arce 5 of 17 29% 3 of 15 1 of 1 1 of 1 4 of 16 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Montel Jackson 15 of 58 25% 7 of 47 5 of 8 3 of 3 15 of 58 0 of 0 0 of 0
Julio Arce 19 of 46 41% 13 of 39 3 of 4 3 of 3 18 of 44 1 of 2 0 of 0
3 Montel Jackson 7 of 46 15% 4 of 39 2 of 6 1 of 1 6 of 44 1 of 2 0 of 0
Julio Arce 24 of 43 55% 23 of 41 1 of 2 0 of 0 11 of 22 2 of 2 11 of 19
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jackson (-200), Arce (+170)

Round 1
Arce was victorious in his first appearance of 2022, while Jackson, who has won five of six UFC outings, will return to the Octagon for the first time in 14 months. Marc Goddard will be the third man in the cage. They touch gloves and we’re underway. Jackson changes levels within the first 30 seconds and shoves Arce into the fence. Jackson lands some knees to the body, but one lands on the cup, which prompts a warning from Goddard but no reset. Jackson thinks about a single-leg but Arce defends, and Jackson lands a short punch to the head instead. The crowd is already getting restless as Jackson continues to grind away against the fence. Goddard urges the combatants to stay busy. Arce can’t get his back off the fence and we’re halfway through the round when Goddard orders a restart in the center of the cage. Arce has a kick to the body partially blocked. He’s cautious, perhaps due to the threat of the Jackson takedown. Arce fires a straight to the body followed by a leg kick. Arce pressures and both men exchange jabs. Arce picks up the pace and fires off an overhand left. Jackson moves in with a right hook. Arce pressures as time winds down, and Jackson defends a takedown in the final 10 seconds. Arce muscles his opponent to the mat just before the horn, however.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 2
Arce again takes the center of the cage, and he lands a left hand as he backs Jackson up. An inside leg kick connects for Arce. An outside leg kick lands for Jackson. Arce continues to lead the dance and he moves in behind a right hook, but Jackson lands a counter in response. A right hook connects for Jackson. Another counter right lands for Jackson, who is having more success but isn’t landing in great volume. Jackson connects with a solid right. Arce throws a right hook and Jackson angles out. Jackson is sticking his right hand with some consistency now as Arce pressures. Jackson shoots for a takedown against the fence. He steps around and gets the back of his opponent. Jackson continues to grind away until the horn, mixing in a knee with some dirty boxing.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jackson

Round 3
Arce comes out throwing combinations, but it’s Jackson who lands a right hand during an initial exchange. Moments later, Jackson puts Arce on his back with a stiff jab. Jackson assumes top position and works to land punches from inside Arce’s guard. Arce seems to have recovered, and he’s very active with his guard. Jackson is struggling to control the hips, and Arce nearly frames a triangle. Jackson works to stack Arce, but he is unable to pass at the 2:30 mark of the round. Arce sits up and then stands. Arce has some swelling under his left eye. Arce is not finding the range on his punches. Jackson finds an opening a tags Arce with a right hand. Arce pressures forward and whiffs on some looping punches. Arce moves in with punches and Jackson ties him up, shoving his foe into the fence. Jackson lands a short right on the break. Jackson with a straight left in the waning seconds, and he dodges a final Arce offering before the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)

The Official Result
Montel Jackson def. Julia Arce via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2022 (6 days before fight)
Montel Jackson

Angelo believes Julio Arce is the better technical striker but has a suspect chin. He trusts Montel Jackson's wrestling and power, noting that Jackson's only losses are to wrestlers who out-grappled him. He thinks Jackson will win by using his takedowns and power, rather than trying to out-strike Arce. He mentions that the takedown prop lines will be interesting and that he will likely bet on Jackson's takedowns.

takedown lines on PrizePicks and BetOnline
"I trust montel's takedowns I have him winning this fight"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Nov 7, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Montel Jackson

Big Brady picks Montel Jackson to win by decision. He highlights Jackson's size, reach, power (10 knockdowns in UFC), and wrestling (over 4 takedowns per 15 minutes at 78% accuracy). He notes Arce has good takedown defense (94%) but hasn't faced many wrestlers. He believes Jackson will mix takedowns and land the bigger shots, winning a decision. He also mentions Jackson's youth and power advantage.

Jackson by decision
"give me Montel Jackson to win give me Montel Jackson to win a decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Cody picks Arce, citing his excellent footwork, volume, and 94% takedown defense. He notes that Jackson has not fought top competition and that Arce's movement and striking should give Jackson trouble. Cody thinks if Jackson can't take Arce down, Arce will outpoint him. He is not highly confident but sees value at plus money.

"I do feel like Julio she has the goods to go out there and pull it off and a plus 175 I'm willing to take a slight flyer on that."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Nov 10, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Connor picks Arce, noting that Jackson has not improved in four years and lacks depth in his grappling and striking. He points out that Arce is a complete fighter with sharp footwork and counters, and that Jackson's wrestling is not good enough to hold Arce down. Connor also mentions that Arce has been getting better and has faced higher-level competition.

"I think RSA can edge this one out."
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Nov 7, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Montel Jackson

Daniel Levi picks Montel Jackson, citing his immense talent, power, wrestling, and physical attributes. He notes that Jackson has knockout power and a reach advantage, but his work ethic is questionable. Levi believes if Jackson shows up focused, he can dominate. He respects Arce's point-fighting style but thinks Jackson's power and wrestling will be the difference.

"give me Montel Jackson here"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 8, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Julio Arce

The host believes Arce is the better technical striker with superior footwork and kicks, and his 94% takedown defense should keep the fight standing. He questions Jackson's competition level, noting his wins are over lower-tier opponents and he struggles against better grapplers. Arce's output and volume should frustrate Jackson, leading to a decision win. The host acknowledges Arce's durability concerns but sees value at +175.

"I think that this is a good spot to take an underdog shot on Julio or say at plus 175"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul also leans towards Arce, agreeing with Cody's analysis. He notes that Jackson is enormous for the weight class and that Arce will have to eat shots to get inside, but if Arce keeps the fight standing, it should be close to a pick'em. Paul is not confident but goes with Arce.

"I'll lean ever so slightly towards Julio Archie with you but another spot I'm not too confident in."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Nov 7, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Montel Jackson

The MMA Guru picks Montel Jackson, citing his underrated prospect status, massive hands, and physical advantages like a 5.5-inch reach advantage. He believes Jackson can outwork Arce on the feet and predicts a close split decision 29-28. He notes Jackson's grappling defense against good grapplers like Brett Johns and Ricky Simon.

"I'm going with Montel Jackson here"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Nov 10, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Zane picks Arce, emphasizing that Jackson's striking is one-dimensional and he lacks confidence in it. He notes that Arce's consistent style and ability to handle pressure fighters like Daniel Santos make him a good bet. Zane also points out that Jackson's wins have come against lower-level competition, while Arce has fought tougher opponents.

"I think RSA should be, uh, if anything, a slight to healthy favorite."
WIN vs Daniel Santos
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · Apr 09, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Julio Arce 0 127 of 265 47% 127 of 265 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:18
Daniel Santos 0 49 of 229 21% 49 of 229 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:46
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Julio Arce 0 39 of 78 50% 39 of 78 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daniel Santos 0 17 of 70 24% 17 of 70 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:35
2 Julio Arce 0 41 of 78 52% 41 of 78 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:17
Daniel Santos 0 18 of 79 22% 18 of 79 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:11
3 Julio Arce 0 47 of 109 43% 47 of 109 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Daniel Santos 0 14 of 80 17% 14 of 80 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Julio Arce 127 of 265 47% 100 of 228 25 of 35 2 of 2 125 of 262 2 of 3 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 49 of 229 21% 27 of 197 15 of 24 7 of 8 46 of 225 3 of 4 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Julio Arce 39 of 78 50% 34 of 71 5 of 7 0 of 0 37 of 75 2 of 3 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 17 of 70 24% 10 of 61 4 of 6 3 of 3 16 of 68 1 of 2 0 of 0
2 Julio Arce 41 of 78 52% 28 of 61 11 of 15 2 of 2 41 of 78 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 18 of 79 22% 9 of 65 6 of 10 3 of 4 17 of 78 1 of 1 0 of 0
3 Julio Arce 47 of 109 43% 38 of 96 9 of 13 0 of 0 47 of 109 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 14 of 80 17% 8 of 71 5 of 8 1 of 1 13 of 79 1 of 1 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Julio Arce (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Daniel Gustavo Santos

Round 1
After a much-needed week away for the UFC, the promotion is coming back guns blazing as it takes to Jacksonville, Fla., for a tentpole pay-per-view. Two title fights and a very highly anticipated welterweight showdown will top off the dozen-bout card, and we begin with a fight scheduled at bantamweight that hit a slight snag. Arce (17-5, 4-3 UFC), who missed weight by half a pound, will welcome “Willycat” Santos (8-1, 0-0 UFC) to the promotion. The Brazilian was originally slated to make his debut in 2021, but a pair of fight cancelations pushed it back to this April event. Referee James Larry Folsom will oversee the first match of the evening, and there is an apologetic glove touch offered by Arce and accepted. The first strike attempt comes from Santos, who comes up short with a high kick as Arce bats it away and flicks out a jab. Santos bears down on him with a standard Chute Boxe-style plodding approach, and Arce dips out of the way when Santos swings wide. A spinning strike gets pulled back from Santos when he finds it would not reach his intended target, and Arce stays on the outside with long single strikes. Arce interrupts Santos coming in, but the Brazilian wings a few hooks at him that partially connect. Arce’s jab continues to find its home as Santos’ strikes have more arc on them, and the New Yorker is able to slide out of the way before they reach him. When Santos punches his way into a clinch, he punishes Arce with a clean elbow. He pushes off, and then storms forward with an up-elbow in the vein of Anderson Silva. Arce wears it well and walks into a right hand, but he does not seem overly concerned as he uses his footwork to stay safe. Santos swings and misses with a spinning hook kick, and Arce’s strikes are still very fundamental and effective, with a jab and a two that comes after every so often. Another spinning kick from Santos misses the mark, and Arce tags him with a few more crisp punches. Santos is still throwing everything he has into his strikes, and Arce sees them coming and evades the brunt of most of them. Arce times his jab and a cross to follow as Santos cannot seem to figure it out, as the Brazilian still meanders forward recklessly while throwing haymakers. One jab is followed by a head kick, and Santos absorbs it without missing a beat. Santos lets go with a heavy leg kick, and Arce replies with a head kick that rings his bell. Knowing Santos is hurt but still dangerous, Arce picks and pokes away at his opponent until the round ends, rather than burning his gas tank searching for a finish with seconds to go.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 2
The fighters come out of their corners to touch gloves in the middle, and Arce resumes his accurate jabbing approach. Santos, on the other hand, is far more aggressively, jumping in the air with a knee and throwing bombs. Arce takes one on the chin that gives him pause, and he is able to dance out of the way when more come from Santos. Seeing Santos charging at him to wind up with a huge right hand, Arce changes levels at the right moment to trip Santos’ leg out beneath him. Arce does not follow him to the ground, and instead just appeared to want to give Santos something else to think about. Santos gets back to his feet and continues his constant forward motion while Arce slips and rips his strikes. Santos lands at the end of a right hand, and Arce escapes out the back door and dodges a spinning wheel kick. Arce is far more mobile of the two, circling on the outside and pawing away strikes that come at him. The Brazilian lands a kick to the body, and Arce returns fire with two to the midsection, with the second colliding with the hip as Arce withdraws his foot gingerly. Arce pushes out a jab as Santos walks him down, and he dings Santos with a head kick. Santos bites down on his gumshield and throws heavy leather, clipping Arce but not slowing him down. Instead, Arce smartly circles away and targets the body with his fists. Santos is the bus that couldn’t slow down, continuously ignoring the offense coming his way and taking practically every jab flush. Santos begins to telegraph his wide strikes, and Arce is able to manage this by planting a clean one-two on the jaw. “Willycat” pays it no mind, steps back and launches a high kick that comes up short. Santos kicks low, and that strike does land, but a head kick shortly thereafter is off-target. Arce scores a right hand, throws a push kick to the chest, and has his leg caught. Before Santos can do anything with it, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 3
There is a final clap of hands to start off Round 3, and Arce gets on his bike early when Santos rushes at him with little defense. Santos gets popped on the chops from a couple sharp Arce punches, and he tries to let loose with a spinning kick that ends up colliding with the wall instead of his opponent. Arce blocks a body kick, and he paws out a handful of jabs as Santos looks for a superman punch. The heavier man is much sharper and practically landing at will, while Santos is all offense without landing much of note. Arce lands a jab and follows it with a left to the ribcage, and Santos grimaces and continues plodding ahead. Santos gives a half-hearted spinning high kick, and then changes things up with an Andy Hug-esque spinning kick to the thigh. Arce walks it off and peppers his foe with jabs and low kicks, doing well enough to keep Santos at bay or disturb him long enough to not get tagged by one of his power shots. Arce sticks him with a jab, slides out of the way from a swinging hook, and comes out with another jab. A double jab into a left hand stings Santos for a moment, but the Brazilian is not going to stop pressing forward. Even though he misses with a spinning back fist and a jumping switch kick, he does not lose heart, ever pushing forward and attacking. Arce can see most of these big shots coming and be out of harm’s way well in time, only to reset and put a jab in Santos’ face. A spinning back fist from Santos does not connect, but a kick to the midsection does push off of Arce’s liver. Arce replies with a head kick, not showing any concern with anything coming back at him. The jabs have begun to mark up Santos’ face, with swelling around the left eye. Throwing caution to the wind, Santos jumps forward with a rolling thunder kick, and Arce rocks him when Santos is on his knees after missing with the kick. Santos gets up, and he initiates a brawl that Arce obliges. They throw down right to the final bell, and this one is going to the scorecards but there shouldn’t be much doubt on who will get their hand raised.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)

The Official Result
Julio Arce def. Daniel Gustavo Santos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2022 (10 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Angelo picks Julio Arce but notes he likes Daniel Santos as a live underdog. He thinks Arce's wrestling can be key to slowing Santos' striking. He also likes a prop bet on Santos winning inside the distance with a safety net (refund if decision).

Daniel Santos wins inside the distance (decision no action) - safety net bet.
"juliars is the pick but i think what i'm going to do betting wise is daniel santos wins inside the distance but decision no action"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody leans towards Santos as an underdog, citing the unknown factor and Santos' two-and-a-half-year layoff for improvement. He notes Santos' spinning techniques and aggression, and that Arce has been knocked out before. Cody thinks Santos could be a live dog and plans to play him in DFS due to low ownership.

"i think i am going to play this santos kid"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Apr 8, 2022 (1 day before fight)
Daniel Santos

Daniel Levi acknowledges Julio Arce's experience and fundamental soundness but sees Arce as having peaked, while Santos is a young, improving fighter with aggression and wrestling defense. He is concerned about Santos's three-year layoff and first time under bright lights, but believes Santos at 27 is a better version than at 24. At plus money, he is willing to roll the dice on the upset.

"at a price like this i'm willing to roll the odds and take him here"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 5, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

I love the underdog price on Santos. He is wild, aggressive, and crashes the pocket, which is where Arce struggles. Arce has trouble when opponents engage with him in the pocket. Santos can land big shots and possibly get a knockout. I'm taking Santos to win, probably by KO.

"I love this underdog price tag that we're getting on Daniel Santos at plus 160... I'm gonna take Daniel Santos I'm gonna pick him to win this fight probably by KO."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul picks Arce but has a bad feeling about it. He notes Arce's skill set as a former golden glove boxer and BJJ black belt, but worries about his chin after being knocked out by Song. Paul thinks Santos is dangerous with spinning attacks but is hittable and lacks defense. He expects Arce to win on skill but acknowledges Santos could clip him.

"i'm going to take rj but i got a feeling that i might be paying for this one"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 4, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Julio Arce

The MMA Guru picks Julio Arce, citing his experience and veteran savvy. He expects Santos to start fast but fade, with Arce winning the second and third rounds. He predicts a 29-28 decision, noting that Arce is a high-level unranked bantamweight with good wins.

"i am going to be going with julio arse here in the opening fight of the card"
LOSS vs Song Yadong
TKO (head kick and punches) R2 1:35 · UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez · Nov 13, 2021
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Song Yadong 1 30 of 80 37% 30 of 80 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Julio Arce 0 13 of 78 16% 13 of 78 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Song Yadong 0 17 of 52 32% 17 of 52 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Julio Arce 0 5 of 46 10% 5 of 46 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Song Yadong 1 13 of 28 46% 13 of 28 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Julio Arce 0 8 of 32 25% 8 of 32 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Song Yadong 30 of 80 37% 15 of 60 8 of 12 7 of 8 27 of 77 0 of 0 3 of 3
Julio Arce 13 of 78 16% 7 of 69 4 of 7 2 of 2 13 of 78 0 of 0 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Song Yadong 17 of 52 32% 6 of 37 6 of 9 5 of 6 17 of 52 0 of 0 0 of 0
Julio Arce 5 of 46 10% 3 of 42 2 of 4 0 of 0 5 of 46 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Song Yadong 13 of 28 46% 9 of 23 2 of 3 2 of 2 10 of 25 0 of 0 3 of 3
Julio Arce 8 of 32 25% 4 of 27 2 of 3 2 of 2 8 of 32 0 of 0 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Julio Arce vs. Yadong Song

Round 1
Kicking off the main card is a fun bantamweight scrap between rising Chinese contender “Kung Fu Monkey” Song (17-5-1, 1 NC; 6-1-1 UFC) and Season 1 Contender Series signee Arce (17-4, 4-2 UFC). The fists and feet are sure to fly, and referee Herb Dean may have his hands full here. There is a sporting touch of gloves to check in the hostilities, and Song is the aggressor right out of the gate. The offense is minimal but Song is controlling the cage, forcing Arce to back off and drawing reactions from his feints. Suddenly, Song bursts forward with swinging punches, and Arce dances out of the way and eats a right hand. Song scores a low kick, and he evades a few jabs and walks in to one as he tries to attack. Song goes up high with a kick, and Arce slides out of the way and keeps looking for his range with his jab. Song swarms his man with punches, but Arce blocks and ducks out of the way in time to not absorb anything flush. Arce tries to counter with a head kick, and Song swats it out of the way. A striking stalemate ensues as neither man goes after anything of note, with Song occasionally throwing bombs that hit nothing but air. A quick melee ensues as they both throw caution to the wind briefly, but they back off to try to get to a calmer pace and range shortly after. Song charges forward with a right and a left, and the left hook gets Arce’s attention. Song plods forward, and they trade heavy body kicks. Arce finally gets the distance of his jab, and Song thanks him for this by booting him to the midsection with his instep. Song whiffs on a quick punch, and he chains it into a combination that does land. They both whip quick kicks at one another, with the strikes glancing off the guards. The accuracy may be low but the speed between these two bantamweights is high. Song chops down low with a kick, and the round ends with Song trying to throw leather.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Song
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Song
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Song

Round 2
The 135ers rush out of their corners to attack, and Arce slings a high kick in the early going that gets blocked. Arce turns a few punches into a heavy leg kick, and the kick makes Song stumble. Arce puts a bit of a pace of his foe, but he soon backs off when Song lands a flush kick to the midsection. Arce flicks out a few jabs and a leg kick that Song tries to defend but still absorbs cleanly. Song rings a right hand home, and Arce is soon to answer him.
A massive head kick from Song cracks Arce on the side of the head, and Arce is stunned and wobbles his way back to the cage wall while Song gives chase. Song does not let him off the hook, sensing that Arce is hurt badly, and he starts letting loose with a ferocious punch combination that smashes into Arce again and again. The fists continue to land for Song, who is unleashing a fury as he seeks a finish. Arce crumbles, and Dean tries to leap in and stop the fight but misses the mark.
This allows Song to keep on pounding on a defeated Arce, and Dean gathers himself to halt the fight once and for all. The contender out of China is now the first man to knock Arce out as a professional, and proves he is one to watch at 135 pounds.

The Official Result
Yadong Song def. Julio Arce R2 1:35 via TKO (Head Kick and Punches)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Song Yadong

Angelo picks Song Yadong, citing his power and speed advantage. He acknowledges that Arce is more technical but thinks Song's volume and power will be frustrating. Angelo considers this a close fight and is surprised by the odds.

"i have song winning here but this is a close fight i this is another one i think the odds are wide"
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked Nov 9, 2021 (4 days before fight)
Song Yadong

Big Brady slightly edges Song Yadong, citing his youth (23), power, and improvement at Team Alpha Male. He expects a striking fight with no takedowns, and while Arce is talented, Brady thinks Yadong will land the harder shots and win a close decision. He admits it's a very competitive fight and not confident.

Yadong by decision
"i'll take song yodong to get the win i'll take him to one by decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Cody is concerned about Arce's lower volume compared to Yadong. He thinks Yadong throws a lot of strikes and Arce needs to stay at range. He calls it a close fight and a 'dog or pass' situation, but leans slightly to Arce.

"i think it's a close fight and i'll i'll side with you dogger pass situation"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Nov 11, 2021 (2 days before fight)
Song Yadong

Daniel Levi picks Song Yadong, emphasizing his power as one of the hardest hitters in the bantamweight division. He believes Song's impactful shots will sway the judges even if he lands slightly less than Arce. Levi notes that Arce has better defense but Song's forward pressure and power will be the deciding factor in a close fight. He also mentions Song's ability to get back up if taken down.

"give me a song to edge this one out slightly"
JA
Jacob Lines Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Jacob picks Julio Arce, liking his power and technical boxing. He thinks Arce can land big counters and possibly knock Song out. Jacob notes that Song gets hit and that Arce has the ability to steal rounds with grappling if needed.

"i like arson this just just for the power i think he's got a little bit more power than your dong"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul likes Arce as a smooth operator who looked career-best after elbow surgery. He thinks Arce's kickboxing and BJJ are solid, and that Yadong slows down in fights. He calls it a 'dog or pass' situation and takes the underdog.

"give me that plus 10 plus 110 underdog in julia"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Nov 13, 2021 (fight day)
Song Yadong

The Guru picks Song Yadong by split decision (29-28). He expects a close fight with Yadong's power and speed giving him an edge early, but Arce coming on in the third round. Yadong will win rounds one and two, with Arce taking the third, but Yadong gets the nod on two scorecards.

split decision 29-28
"i'm calling a split decision because listen i know people call me out for like oh you always pick a split decision"
WIN vs Andre Ewell
TKO (punches) R2 3:45 · UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw · Jul 24, 2021
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Julio Arce 0 42 of 113 37% 44 of 115 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:24
Andre Ewell 0 31 of 97 31% 31 of 98 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Julio Arce 0 18 of 53 33% 20 of 55 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:24
Andre Ewell 0 13 of 50 26% 13 of 51 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Julio Arce 0 24 of 60 40% 24 of 60 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Andre Ewell 0 18 of 47 38% 18 of 47 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Julio Arce 42 of 113 37% 27 of 88 6 of 15 9 of 10 42 of 113 0 of 0 0 of 0
Andre Ewell 31 of 97 31% 10 of 63 10 of 18 11 of 16 31 of 97 0 of 0 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Julio Arce 18 of 53 33% 12 of 42 1 of 6 5 of 5 18 of 53 0 of 0 0 of 0
Andre Ewell 13 of 50 26% 5 of 36 4 of 6 4 of 8 13 of 50 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Julio Arce 24 of 60 40% 15 of 46 5 of 9 4 of 5 24 of 60 0 of 0 0 of 0
Andre Ewell 18 of 47 38% 5 of 27 6 of 12 7 of 8 18 of 47 0 of 0 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Angelo picks Julio Arce because he is a high-volume striker with good striking defense and movement, and he mixes his boxing and kicks well. He notes that Andre Ewell has cardio issues due to his size and can't grapple. He expects Arce to win by decision after a potential slow first round due to his two-year layoff. He likes the 3.5 round prop on Ewell (buying a round) because Ewell might win the first round when fresh, then fade. He also likes the more/more on monkey knife fight.

Andre Ewell 3.5 round prop (buy a round on judge's scorecard); more/more on monkey knife fight
"i think he can take the first round when he's fresh and he's long and the range is trying to get figured out"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 20, 2021 (4 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Big Brady picks Julio Arce by decision, noting Arce's superior competition and cardio advantage. He expects the fight to be competitive early but Arce will take over in the third round as Ewell slows down. He highlights Arce's positive striking differential and Ewell's tendency to fade. He thinks the line (-190) is a bit wide but still favors Arce.

"i'm gonna say rsa does win a pretty uh close decision in this fight"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Cody picks Arce, citing his slick boxing and good grappling. He thinks the move down to 135 is good for him. He notes Arce has been off due to surgeries but expects him to land the more impactful strikes. He likes Arce's chances as long as the weight cut works out.

"give me the guy landing the more impactful strikes"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)
Andre Ewell

Daniel Levi picks Andre Ewell as a plus-180 dog, believing the line is off. He notes that Ewell is long for the weight class with a 75-inch reach, and that Arce tends to fight close. Levi expects a three-round stand-up war with both having moments, and predicts Ewell via split decision. He acknowledges Arce's better technical skills but thinks Ewell can make it close.

"i'm going to go with andre via split decision"
JA
Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Jacob picks Julio Arce because he is a Golden Gloves boxing champion coming down to bantamweight, so Andre Ewell won't have the usual size advantage. He notes that Arce has never been KO'd and has good head movement. He thinks Arce will have no issues with Ewell and has him in his DraftKings lineup.

"julio is actually coming down in weight he's he's had that layoff but he's actually coming he's usually a featherweight guy coming down to bantamweight so andre won't be as big as he normally is"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)
Julio Arce

The host picks Julio Arce, noting his striking and grappling advantage, as well as his cardio edge. He expects Arce to pressure Ewell, who tends to fade in later rounds. He mentions Arce's layoff and ring rust concerns but believes his overall skills will prevail. He likes Arce by decision at +125 and also mentions a potential round three finish.

Arce by decision +125; Arce round three +1375 (sprinkle)
"i do like rsa rc by decision plus 125. that's going to be the side that i'm leaning with"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul also picks Arce, noting his superior boxing, southpaw stance, and overall skills. He warns about Ewell's reach and tendency to make fights close, but thinks Arce's wrestling and jiu-jitsu give him an edge. He is concerned about the layoff and surgeries but still picks Arce.

"i'm going to hit this one minus one on the julio rj and hope he brings it on home for me"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 18, 2021 (6 days before fight)
Andre Ewell

The Guru picks Ewell as an underdog, noting Arce's lack of leg kicks, which he suspects is due to shin issues. He believes Ewell's reach and range will be decisive, as Arce has no way to close distance or chop the legs. He predicts a unanimous decision win for Ewell, keeping the fight at range.

"i'm going with andre you're as an underdog here"
LOSS vs Hakeem Dawodu
Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz · Nov 02, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Hakeem Dawodu 0 32 of 124 25% 64 of 162 1 of 3 33% 0 0 0:56
Julio Arce 0 55 of 139 39% 83 of 170 0 of 0 --- 0 1 3:39
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Hakeem Dawodu 0 6 of 31 19% 12 of 39 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Julio Arce 0 13 of 39 33% 26 of 53 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:51
2 Hakeem Dawodu 0 9 of 42 21% 20 of 54 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:43
Julio Arce 0 14 of 37 37% 23 of 47 0 of 0 --- 0 1 1:25
3 Hakeem Dawodu 0 17 of 51 33% 32 of 69 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:13
Julio Arce 0 28 of 63 44% 34 of 70 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:23
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Hakeem Dawodu 32 of 124 25% 21 of 101 11 of 22 0 of 1 28 of 116 4 of 8 0 of 0
Julio Arce 55 of 139 39% 15 of 79 25 of 42 15 of 18 40 of 121 11 of 14 4 of 4
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Hakeem Dawodu 6 of 31 19% 3 of 25 3 of 6 0 of 0 5 of 30 1 of 1 0 of 0
Julio Arce 13 of 39 33% 2 of 17 6 of 14 5 of 8 11 of 37 2 of 2 0 of 0
2 Hakeem Dawodu 9 of 42 21% 6 of 35 3 of 7 0 of 0 8 of 38 1 of 4 0 of 0
Julio Arce 14 of 37 37% 4 of 23 3 of 7 7 of 7 9 of 32 1 of 1 4 of 4
3 Hakeem Dawodu 17 of 51 33% 12 of 41 5 of 9 0 of 1 15 of 48 2 of 3 0 of 0
Julio Arce 28 of 63 44% 9 of 39 16 of 21 3 of 3 20 of 52 8 of 11 0 of 0
WIN vs Julian Erosa
KO (head kick) R3 1:49 · UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee · May 18, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Julio Arce 1 74 of 160 46% 74 of 160 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:13
Julian Erosa 0 43 of 160 26% 46 of 164 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:33
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Julio Arce 0 14 of 43 32% 14 of 43 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:07
Julian Erosa 0 12 of 49 24% 14 of 51 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:11
2 Julio Arce 0 34 of 72 47% 34 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:05
Julian Erosa 0 21 of 74 28% 22 of 76 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:22
3 Julio Arce 1 26 of 45 57% 26 of 45 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Julian Erosa 0 10 of 37 27% 10 of 37 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Julio Arce 74 of 160 46% 61 of 142 12 of 17 1 of 1 71 of 155 2 of 4 1 of 1
Julian Erosa 43 of 160 26% 23 of 129 15 of 24 5 of 7 39 of 151 4 of 9 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Julio Arce 14 of 43 32% 14 of 41 0 of 2 0 of 0 14 of 42 0 of 1 0 of 0
Julian Erosa 12 of 49 24% 4 of 35 6 of 11 2 of 3 11 of 46 1 of 3 0 of 0
2 Julio Arce 34 of 72 47% 25 of 62 8 of 9 1 of 1 32 of 69 2 of 3 0 of 0
Julian Erosa 21 of 74 28% 11 of 61 8 of 10 2 of 3 18 of 68 3 of 6 0 of 0
3 Julio Arce 26 of 45 57% 22 of 39 4 of 6 0 of 0 25 of 44 0 of 0 1 of 1
Julian Erosa 10 of 37 27% 8 of 33 1 of 3 1 of 1 10 of 37 0 of 0 0 of 0
LOSS vs Sheymon Moraes
Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 30–26) R3 5:00 · UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis · Nov 03, 2018
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Sheymon Moraes 0 25 of 119 21% 46 of 145 1 of 5 20% 2 0 4:10
Julio Arce 2 32 of 102 31% 35 of 105 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:36
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Sheymon Moraes 0 2 of 12 16% 22 of 37 0 of 3 0% 2 0 3:21
Julio Arce 1 7 of 17 41% 8 of 18 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:42
2 Sheymon Moraes 0 5 of 35 14% 5 of 35 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:49
Julio Arce 1 13 of 43 30% 15 of 45 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:53
3 Sheymon Moraes 0 18 of 72 25% 19 of 73 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Julio Arce 0 12 of 42 28% 12 of 42 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Sheymon Moraes 25 of 119 21% 16 of 97 9 of 21 0 of 1 23 of 114 2 of 5 0 of 0
Julio Arce 32 of 102 31% 22 of 83 9 of 18 1 of 1 16 of 69 9 of 13 7 of 20
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Sheymon Moraes 2 of 12 16% 2 of 12 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 11 1 of 1 0 of 0
Julio Arce 7 of 17 41% 6 of 16 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 2 1 of 1 5 of 14
2 Sheymon Moraes 5 of 35 14% 3 of 29 2 of 5 0 of 1 5 of 33 0 of 2 0 of 0
Julio Arce 13 of 43 30% 9 of 33 3 of 9 1 of 1 8 of 32 3 of 5 2 of 6
3 Sheymon Moraes 18 of 72 25% 11 of 56 7 of 16 0 of 0 17 of 70 1 of 2 0 of 0
Julio Arce 12 of 42 28% 7 of 34 5 of 8 0 of 0 7 of 35 5 of 7 0 of 0
Daniel Santos - Fight History
LOSS vs Dooho Choi
KO/TKO R2 4:29 · UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa · May 16, 2026
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Dooho Choi 1 72 of 138 52% 79 of 145 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:11
Daniel Santos 0 72 of 182 39% 74 of 186 0 of 6 0% 0 0 0:54
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Dooho Choi 0 28 of 59 47% 29 of 60 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Daniel Santos 0 47 of 106 44% 48 of 109 0 of 4 0% 0 0 0:12
2 Dooho Choi 1 44 of 79 55% 50 of 85 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:10
Daniel Santos 0 25 of 76 32% 26 of 77 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:42
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Dooho Choi 72 of 138 52% 56 of 122 13 of 13 3 of 3 67 of 133 3 of 3 2 of 2
Daniel Santos 72 of 182 39% 54 of 156 15 of 22 3 of 4 64 of 172 8 of 10 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Dooho Choi 28 of 59 47% 20 of 51 6 of 6 2 of 2 26 of 57 2 of 2 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 47 of 106 44% 35 of 89 12 of 16 0 of 1 40 of 97 7 of 9 0 of 0
2 Dooho Choi 44 of 79 55% 36 of 71 7 of 7 1 of 1 41 of 76 1 of 1 2 of 2
Daniel Santos 25 of 76 32% 19 of 67 3 of 6 3 of 3 24 of 75 1 of 1 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked May 10, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Angelo picks Daniel Santos, calling it the toughest pick on the card. He notes Choi looked great in his last fight but attributes that to an old opponent. He trusts Santos to stay dangerous late and create scrambles. He expects a close fight with Santos winning.

"Daniel Santos is going to be the pick. But honestly, in my opinion, this might be the toughest pick on the card."
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked May 12, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Big Brady leans toward Daniel Santos, citing his durability and youth. He expects a war and favors the younger, more durable fighter. He predicts a decision win, though he is not thrilled with the price.

"I'm leaning Santos here just because he's the younger guy."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked May 13, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody picks Daniel Santos, citing his physical strength, pressure, and ability to mix takedowns with striking. He notes that Santos has been active and improving, while Dooho Choi has been inactive and has shown vulnerability to wrestlers like Kyle Nelson. He believes Santos can pressure Choi, land heavy blows, and use takedowns to neutralize him, especially as Choi is not physically strong and has been rocked before.

"I feel like Santos can pressure in and land those big heavy blows, but also shoot the takedowns, neutralize this guy, out muscle him a little bit."
DI
Diary of a Pro Gambler Expert Lean picked May 16, 2026 (fight day)
Daniel Santos

Both are aggressive with poor defense. Santos is more durable and throws higher volume, while Choi has more power. Lean Santos due to durability, but odds are fair. Under 2.5 rounds is interesting.

Under 2.5 rounds or fight not to go to decision at 1.55 is tempting.
"My lean would be Santos just based on durability."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked May 10, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Lucrative James picks Daniel Santos, favoring his relentless pace, takedown volume, and durability over Dooho Choi. He notes Santos's improvement at featherweight and Choi's defensive vulnerabilities. He predicts a decision win for Santos, though acknowledges a knockout is possible.

"I have to pick Daniel Santos here. I think at 35 years old, we've seen what we're ever going to see for the Korean Super Bowl."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 13, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Dooho Choi

The host picks Doo Ho Choi over Daniel Santos, expecting Choi to use his grappling defensively and outstrike Santos. He notes that Santos will likely look to grapple, but if Choi's durability holds up, he will put together a better body of work to win on the scorecards.

"Look for Choi to utilize his grappling defensively, as Santos will likely look to get to that here. As long as Choi's durability holds up, I expect him to go out there and outstrike Santos, maybe even get to some …"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 12, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Dooho Choi

The host is surprised the line has moved in Santos' favor, as he believes Choi is the better striker with improved grappling and a size advantage. He expects Choi to outpoint Santos over three rounds, winning by decision. He may look to bet Choi at the current plus money.

"I think Troy should win the majority of this fight and I think he'll point Santos on route to a decision win."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked May 13, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Paul is confident in Daniel Santos, having parlayed him earlier in the week at -143. He likes Santos's activity and wrestling, and believes he can lean on that to get out of tight situations. He notes that Dooho Choi is too inactive and that Santos has been his guy since entering the UFC.

Parlayed Santos with Nicolle Caliari at -143.
"I got Wyat. I threw him into a parlay a little bit earlier in the week when he was like minus 143."
WIN vs JooSang Yoo
KO R2 0:21 · UFC 320 · Oct 04, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Daniel Santos 1 27 of 62 43% 28 of 63 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:23
JooSang Yoo 0 31 of 55 56% 51 of 75 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Daniel Santos 0 17 of 47 36% 18 of 48 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:18
JooSang Yoo 0 28 of 49 57% 48 of 69 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Daniel Santos 1 10 of 15 66% 10 of 15 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:05
JooSang Yoo 0 3 of 6 50% 3 of 6 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Daniel Santos 27 of 62 43% 16 of 41 2 of 8 9 of 13 18 of 50 0 of 1 9 of 11
JooSang Yoo 31 of 55 56% 15 of 38 5 of 5 11 of 12 30 of 54 1 of 1 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Daniel Santos 17 of 47 36% 6 of 26 2 of 8 9 of 13 17 of 46 0 of 1 0 of 0
JooSang Yoo 28 of 49 57% 14 of 34 4 of 4 10 of 11 27 of 48 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Daniel Santos 10 of 15 66% 10 of 15 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 4 0 of 0 9 of 11
JooSang Yoo 3 of 6 50% 1 of 4 1 of 1 1 of 1 3 of 6 0 of 0 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Daniel Santos vs. Joo Sang Yoo
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-142), Yoo (+120)

Round 1
Whether because one or both were going to miss weight badly, this featherweight contested shifted to a catchweight at 153 pounds. Santos (13-2, 3-1 UFC), who has come in heavy before, will benefit from this relocated weight category as he comes in likely the larger of the two. Yoo (9-0, 1-0 UFC) is fine with the switch, because he just wants to put hands on faces. He will just as soon as referee Herb Dean clocks them in, and the two bump fists. Now it’s time for some face-punching.
Yoo sneaks out a low kick, and he jumps away to dodge a counter kick and plants one more on the same spot. Santos just misses with a spinning wheel kick, and Yoo springs to the side and flicks out a jab. Yoo leaves a right hand out too long, and Santos just misses on the counter. A quick high kick comes from the Brazilian, and he attempts to time a jab with a chopping calf kick. Santos aims and comes up short on a body kick, and he spins with more kicks that keep missing. Yoo busts him in the chops with a knee up the middle, and his right hand and low kick further do damage. Santos comes out swinging back, and “Zombie Jr.” beats him to the punch with his piston-like jab. Santos leaps after him and catches him with a punch or two, and Yoo claps at him to celebrate.
Santos spins and misses, and Yoo showboats and does his own little twirl. Santos punches his way into a double-leg takedown, scoops the South Korean off his feet and taking the excitement out of the crowd. Santos headbutts Yoo in the chest a couple times, and Dean tells him he has to stop doing that. Yoo puts his hand by his face to mime that he is resting, and Santos keeps trying to control him. Santos looks to grind Yoo down like a mortar and pestle, grating and draining him all while Yoo motions that he is bored. Yoo fights to his feet, and the fans respond in kind. Yoo jams his man in the torso several times with kicks, and his hands are wide as he snaps out jabs. Santos dips down and wings a right hand, and Yoo laughs it off. Yoo lands, and Santos fires back harder. The impact of Santos’ blows is much more measurable, while Yoo would prefer to just touch and get away. Yoo slaps Santos in the face, and Santos pays him back with hard hooks. The South Korean peppers the front leg with kicks and dodges a wheel kick as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yoo
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Yoo
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Yoo

Round 2
Yoo starts the round elusive as can be, zipping from side to side and tagging Santos with long punches. Santos is angered by this bull-matador approach, and he blitzes the South Korean. Yoo parries two punches,
and the third, a sweeping left hook from the Brazilian, smashes square into Yoo’s jaw. Yoo collapses to the ground on his knees, and Santos batters him with an onslaught of right hands to finish the job. Yoo appears frustrated that he got caught until his expression changes from the standing-to-ground blows he is absorbing, and it does not take much more than that for Dean to intervene
. Just like that, “Zombie Jr.” has been drummed out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and Santos notches a huge win with style points and runs to greet Mark Zuckerberg sitting cageside.

The Official Result
Daniel Santos def. Joo Sang Yoo R2 0:21 via TKO (Punches)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 28, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Angelo picks Daniel Santos despite the public heavily favoring Yoo Joo-sang (77% on Tapology). He believes Santos has quality wins and has proven himself in the octagon, while Yoo's only notable win is against a weak opponent. He is surprised by the public confidence in Yoo and trusts Santos as the slight favorite.

"I'm going to pick Daniel Santos here. He is the slight favorite, which is why I was surprised to see everybody on the other side."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Oct 2, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Big Brady acknowledges that this is the closest line fight on the card and that there is missing information on Yoo Joo-sang. However, he notes that Santos has been mixing in wrestling effectively in his recent fights, completing over 10 takedowns in his last three. He believes Yoo Joo-sang is too hittable and gets taken down too easily. He predicts Santos wins by decision, using his wrestling to dictate the fight.

"I'm going to take Daniel Santos here for the pick. I'm going to take him to win this fight by decision."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Oct 3, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Daniel Santos

Connor agrees with Zane, picking Santos because he sees Yoo as a raw talent who has not been forced into a brawl and may struggle when Santos puts together multiple attacking ideas. Connor notes that Santos is a dark horse who is more difficult to face than he looks, and he expects Yoo to have initial success but then get caught by Santos's persistent pressure.

Santos opened at -150, currently -141; Yoo opened at +130, currently +121
"I think you gotta go with Santos here."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Oct 4, 2025 (fight day)
JooSang Yoo

Santos missed weight and asked for a catchweight, indicating his body wasn't responding. The host believes Yoo Joo-sang can take advantage by counter-striking a reckless Santos or chipping away for a decision win.

"I think you should be able to take advantage of that either by counter striking Santos, who will likely come out with a reckless approach, or chipping away at him and winning this fight on the scorecards."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Oct 1, 2025 (3 days before fight)
JooSang Yoo

The MMA Guru picks Yoo Joo-sang, believing his counter-striking and power will be too much for Daniel Santos. He notes Santos's tendency to get hit while closing distance and his inactivity. He predicts a first-round KO.

first-round KO
"I'm going to go with Juesung Yu getting this one done. I reckon he chins Daniel Santos in round one."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Oct 3, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Daniel Santos

Zane picks Daniel Santos because he believes Santos is a volume brawler who mixes in takedowns and holds his ground in the pocket, while JooSang Yoo, despite his raw talent and speed, has not faced real resistance and tends to drop his hands and lean back out of the pocket, leaving him vulnerable to Santos's combinations. Zane notes that Santos has never been KO'd and is durable, and he expects Santos to catch Yoo off guard with sustained offense.

Santos opened at -150, currently -141; Yoo opened at +130, currently +121
"I think you gotta go with Santos here."
Decision R3 5:00 · UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena · May 10, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Daniel Santos 0 90 of 184 48% 119 of 213 6 of 18 33% 0 0 6:06
Lee Jeong-yeong 0 68 of 150 45% 107 of 190 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Daniel Santos 0 33 of 78 42% 40 of 85 0 of 5 0% 0 0 1:07
Lee Jeong-yeong 0 35 of 61 57% 35 of 61 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Daniel Santos 0 39 of 67 58% 51 of 79 3 of 5 60% 0 0 2:28
Lee Jeong-yeong 0 20 of 52 38% 48 of 80 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
3 Daniel Santos 0 18 of 39 46% 28 of 49 3 of 8 37% 0 0 2:31
Lee Jeong-yeong 0 13 of 37 35% 24 of 49 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Daniel Santos 90 of 184 48% 59 of 136 18 of 30 13 of 18 82 of 174 1 of 2 7 of 8
Lee Jeong-yeong 68 of 150 45% 40 of 112 16 of 24 12 of 14 65 of 145 3 of 4 0 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Daniel Santos 33 of 78 42% 20 of 53 6 of 13 7 of 12 33 of 78 0 of 0 0 of 0
Lee Jeong-yeong 35 of 61 57% 16 of 39 10 of 11 9 of 11 34 of 59 1 of 1 0 of 1
2 Daniel Santos 39 of 67 58% 25 of 51 9 of 11 5 of 5 33 of 60 0 of 0 6 of 7
Lee Jeong-yeong 20 of 52 38% 13 of 39 4 of 10 3 of 3 20 of 52 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Daniel Santos 18 of 39 46% 14 of 32 3 of 6 1 of 1 16 of 36 1 of 2 1 of 1
Lee Jeong-yeong 13 of 37 35% 11 of 34 2 of 3 0 of 0 11 of 34 2 of 3 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Daniel Santos
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lee (-115), Santos (-105)

Round 1
Moving right along, “Willycat” Santos (12-2, 2-1 UFC) gets a chance to go on a three-fight win streak if he can get past Lee (11-2, 2-1 UFC) in one of the few preliminary matches not featuring a Canuck. Both of these featherweights sport similar finish rates in the 65% range, which means referee Marc Goddard might be needed before all is said and done. There is a sporting glove touch to get going, and they get right to smacking one another in the lead leg. When Lee comes in to strike, Santos goes for a spinning back kick that whizzes past his foe. They let go with low kicks, and then trade punches. Santos lifts his foot up and around the shoulder, and he just blocks a returning high kick in the nick of time. Lee whiffs on an overhand right, and Santos counters with several body shots. Lee presses forward, and he eats a few more right hands to the midsection. Lee knocks Santos off his feet with a blistering right hand, and Santos leaps back up and grabs hold of Lee’s leg. Rather than get the takedown, he keeps moving and takes Lee’s back standing up. The Brazilian pushes his foe against the fence from behind, and Lee is warned for grabbing the fence to stay upright when Santos tries to wrench him down. Santos does get his man down for a second, and Lee springs back up and lets his hands go. Santos checks a leg kick and looses a right hand, and Lee responds with a jab to split the guard. Lee lands another hard jab, and this time Santos gives him something back to think about in the form of a right hand, a spinning wheel kick and several more body shots. Santos chains punches to the body and head, and Lee stands firm and knocks him back a step with a one-two. They throw body kicks at the same time, and Lee attacks the liver with his left hand. Santos has a wheel kick bounce off the raised guard, and he pushes forward and chains several punches together. Lee is not about to let him off the hook, and he cracks the Brazilian with a left hook that staggers Santos. “Willycat” gathers his thoughts, and chants for Lee rain down. Santos unloads a right hand that sends Lee flying, and Lee spins around and recovers while throwing back with bad intentions. These two let one another have it with violent body shots, and Santos pushes forward to pursue a single-leg takedown. Santos bails on it for a wheel kick try, and this intense round comes to a close. Judges will have their hands full with their tallies here.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lee

Round 2
The fighters hug it out to start off the second round, and Santos immediately gets going with a chain of punches to the body. Lee strikes back with a vengeance, and fists fly every which way as both men nail one another. Santos picks his man up and throws him down, and he jams his knee in the chest before Lee can stand. Lee fights out of a rear-naked choke setup and surges back to his feet, where Santos is ready and waiting for him so they can throw hands. Santos gets off a few punches to set up a takedown, where he drags the Korean fighter to his seat. Santos laces his legs around Lee’s to keep him grounded, and the action-spoiled fans start booing almost immediately. Lee uses elbows to frame off and score a little to open up a wall-walk escape. Santos opens up with punches as soon as he gets upright, and when Lee responds, Santos leaps in the air with a flying knee. Santos starts slapping Lee’s lead leg with kick after kick until Lee sets up checks, and this only allows the Brazilian to take him down again. Lee maintains butterfly hooks as soon as he hits his back on the open cage, and Santos does not mind as he postures up and hammers Lee with ground-and-pound. Lee attempts to strike back, but Santos’ blows are far more effective. Lee kicks off Santos’ chest to get some space, where he is able to stand back up despite Santos charging at him. The Brazilian pushes his foe to the wall, and he nails him with a left hand on the break to open a cut on the corner of Lee’s right eye. Lee swings back just as hard as ever, although he appears to be all power while Santos is more interested in combinations. In a phone booth, the two featherweights let another have it with power punches. Santos ducks one to set up a clinch, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3
After 10 blood-and-guts minutes, the two share a longer embrace before trying to smash the other in the face. Unsurprisingly, smash the other in the face is exactly what they do. Santos leads off, Lee fires back, and Santos level changes. Lee throws his legs up on the way down to set up a triangle choke, only for Santos to shift to the side and position himself in side control as he establishes himself on top. The action slows down as Santos takes several breaths, and he slashes with an elbow or two until Lee scrambles. Lee turns to his knees and stands up, and Santos lifts him up from behind and deposits him right back to the floor. Lee once more jumps upright, shimmies to get Santos off his back, and they reset in striking range. Lee flashes out his jab, and Santos lets go with a front kick that pushes past the chin. Lee doubles up on his jab, putting a two behind it and driving Santos back. Santos kicks low, and Lee jabs again and again. Santos’ winging punches are more telegraphed than before, and his spin is equally inaccurate when Lee watches it go by. Santos shoots for a double-leg takedown as he pushes Lee to the wall, but Lee breaks off and eats a clean right hand on the jaw. Lee throws back, but Santos is the more accurate and harder puncher at the moment. Santos goes to the body with a kick, dodges a body shot and shoots from a distance on Lee’s left leg. Santos lifts his foe’s limb up and trips the other out, throwing Lee down in an interesting high-amplitude maneuver. Lee flinches when hitting the ground, appearing a bit frustrated at getting grounded. On a lull, Lee pushes off and stands up, and he motions for Santos to bring it on. Lee stalks his foe down and jabs him, and he measures an uppercut when Santos shoots for a single. When Santos abandons the takedown, he fires off a head kick that pounds into the guard. “Willycat” escapes the remainder of the confrontation, disappointing the fans in the building for not going for broke with seconds to go. The fight ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos (29-28 Santos)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Santos (29-28 Santos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos (29-28 Santos)

The Official Result
Daniel Santos def. Jeong Yeong Lee via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked May 4, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Lee Jeong-yeong

Angelo picks Jung Young Lee because Daniel Santos is stepping up on short notice and has holes in his game, particularly takedown defense. He believes Lee can weather Santos' early storm, get takedowns, and avoid submissions off his back. Angelo notes the odds have moved from -170 to -135 for Santos, indicating the public is realizing Santos isn't a world beater. He thinks Lee's full camp and ability to grapple give him the edge.

"I am going to go with Jungy Young Lee here just because of the chaos that Daniel Santos brings early. I do think that'll fade and I don't think he'll defend the takedowns."
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked May 6, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Lee Jeong-yeong

Big Brady is skeptical Daniel Santos will even show up due to his history of pulling out. He notes Santos is moving up a weight class, has been inactive for two years, and is inaccurate on the feet. He favors Lee Jeong-yeong's size, reach, power, and takedown defense. He predicts a decision win for Lee, but acknowledges either could land a big shot.

"I got to lean the Jungy Young Lee side here. So, I like Jungy Lee. ... I'll take him to win by decision."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 7, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Lee Jeong-yeong

The host notes significant line movement on Lee from +160 to -115, which he finds justifiable. He views Lee as the slicker and better striker who has learned from his last fight to be more reserved. He expects Lee to counter-strike effectively, shut down Santos's grappling, and win on the scorecards.

Line movement from +160 to -115
"We've seen tremendous line movement on Lee over the last few days, who has gone from plus 160 down to the minus 115 favorite."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 6, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Lee Jeong-yeong

The MMA Guru picks Lee, trusting his initial instinct that Lee's size and power will be too much for Santos, who is moving up from bantamweight. He notes Lee's reach advantage and Santos' inactivity and history of being hurt. He predicts a TKO, as Santos may struggle with the size discrepancy.

TKO
"I'm going to go with Jong Yong Lee. I'm not doubting my initial response of my brain. I'm going with Jong Yong Lee."
CANCEL vs Davey Grant
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Davey Grant

Angelo describes Davey Grant as an awkward fighter who wins fights despite looking like he's losing, with good fight IQ and the ability to survive early storms. He notes Daniel Santos is a typical Chute Boxe fighter with explosive power but no striking defense and poor takedown defense. Angelo predicts Grant will survive an early onslaught, then grind Santos against the cage and win rounds two and three. He considers waiting for prop bets but is confident Grant pulls it off.

"I'm gonna pick daav Grant he's the type of guy that wins fights but looks like he's losing."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 1, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Davey Grant

Big Brady picks the underdog Davey Grant, noting Santos's long layoff and hittability. He believes Grant has improved with age, has better accuracy, and an awkward style. He expects a close fight but sees Grant winning a decision, possibly a split.

"give me the dog here and Davy grant to get to get it done by decision"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 3, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Davey Grant

Despite being 39, Grant has recently showcased he can still compete against young prospects. He is expected to engage in a pocket exchange and uncork a big shot to knock Santos out.

knockout
"even though Grant is 39 years old he has recently showcased that he can still go out there and compete against young prospects and I expect him to do so once again here against Daniel Santos as he engages in …"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 3, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Davey Grant

The Guru is very confident in Davey Grant, calling him a phenom who defies aging logic. He praises Grant's speed, power, long limbs, and snappy kicks, and believes he will TKO Daniel Santos. He notes Grant's win over Jonathan Martinez as a fraud check and thinks Grant's high-volume, Muay Thai style will overwhelm Santos, leading to a finish or dominant decision.

Davey Grant wins by TKO inside the distance
"Davy Grant is an absolute phenom and he is defying the aging logic of bantamweights. He takes out Daniel Santos by TKO in this fight."
Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi · Jun 03, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Daniel Santos 0 50 of 91 54% 134 of 198 3 of 4 75% 0 1 10:47
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 0 18 of 39 46% 64 of 101 1 of 8 12% 1 0 1:19
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Daniel Santos 0 7 of 28 25% 21 of 46 0 of 1 0% 0 0 2:54
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 0 8 of 17 47% 25 of 38 0 of 4 0% 1 0 0:21
2 Daniel Santos 0 29 of 41 70% 65 of 92 1 of 1 100% 0 0 4:01
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 0 6 of 15 40% 19 of 29 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:25
3 Daniel Santos 0 14 of 22 63% 48 of 60 2 of 2 100% 0 1 3:52
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 0 4 of 7 57% 20 of 34 1 of 3 33% 0 0 0:33
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Daniel Santos 50 of 91 54% 30 of 62 15 of 19 5 of 10 10 of 38 6 of 7 34 of 46
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 18 of 39 46% 8 of 26 8 of 10 2 of 3 15 of 30 3 of 9 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Daniel Santos 7 of 28 25% 3 of 18 3 of 7 1 of 3 5 of 25 1 of 2 1 of 1
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 8 of 17 47% 3 of 12 4 of 4 1 of 1 7 of 16 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Daniel Santos 29 of 41 70% 18 of 27 8 of 8 3 of 6 2 of 6 2 of 2 25 of 33
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 6 of 15 40% 3 of 9 2 of 4 1 of 2 6 of 9 0 of 6 0 of 0
3 Daniel Santos 14 of 22 63% 9 of 17 4 of 4 1 of 1 3 of 7 3 of 3 8 of 12
Johnny Muñoz Jr. 4 of 7 57% 2 of 5 2 of 2 0 of 0 2 of 5 2 of 2 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Johnny Munoz Jr. vs. Daniel Santos
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-205), Munoz (+175)

Round 1
Wrapping up the prelims is a fight previously scheduled for May. Suffering an injury a month ago, Santos (11-2, 2-1 UFC) is ready to go this time around, and ready to represent his team of Chute Boxe Diego Lima. He will throw down with California’s Munoz (12-2, 2-2 UFC), who is hoping to lift his UFC record above .500. The two will battle it out under the oversight of referee Herb Dean, and the fight kicks off with a half-hearted touch of gloves. The two immediately kick at the same time, and Santos’ shin spits the upright and smashes square into Munoz’ cup. Munoz collapses to the ground in agony from the brutal but accidental kick, and he rolls around trying to recover from the blow. After a minute, Munoz manages to stand up, and he leans on the cage as Dean tells him to take his time. Munoz paces back and forth, shaking it out, and he tells Dean that he is good to go after two minutes. Dean tells Santos to watch his weapons, and the two fighters get back to it with a glove touch. Santos thinks about a low kick, and he pulls back on it. Munoz strides forward with a right hand, and he rushes the Brazilian fighter to the wall. Santos attempts to trip his foe to the mat, and then both drop a knee. Munoz stands up and pulls guard to drag “Willycat” on top of him, and he fastens a body triangle around Santos’ waist on top of him. Santos breaks it up courtesy of a few body shots, and Munoz rolls for an armbar. Santos climbs back to his feet, and he gets belted with an upkick on the way. Santos lowers himself back in, and he finds himself in immediate triangle choke danger. Munoz locks it up, but Santos is able to stack him up and break the grip just enough to get some breathing room, and he stands back up. Santos allows Munoz to follow him, and he is greeted by a step-in knee. Santos thanks him for this by spinning with a kick to the body, and Munoz drills a left hand to the dome and kicks low only to catch Santos in the cup. Santos gets ample time to recover, and Munoz gets the warning this time around. After 30 seconds, Santos is ready to roll out, and he starts by kicking. Santos then decides to jump with a strike, and he takes a front kick to the body and dodges a spinning back fist that flies past him. Munoz shoots in for a double out of nowhere, and Santos stands him up and knees him in the groin. There is no break this time, and instead they explode out of the clinch position with a knee from Munoz. Munoz gets thrown to the floor and may welcome the takedown, and Santos stands and swats away an upkick before letting Munoz back up. When both up again, Santos rips the body with a kick. Munoz dives at him for a takedown, and when that fails, he attempts a flying leglock that misses the mark and ends with him flopping on his back. Before he can stand, Santos leaps at him to take top position. Santos lets the guard close around him to slow things down. Santos postures up with seconds to go, and Munoz kicks off the chest to make Santos get up. When Munoz follows him, he blocks a jumping switch kick, and the dramatic round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Munoz
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2
The fighters touch ‘em up to start the second round, and Munoz jumps with a knee and is intercepted midair with a front kick. Santos sits down on a left hook as Munoz crashes the pocket, and Munoz ends up pulling guard when he cannot secure his own takedown. Santos lets him close the guard so that he can work the body and head with punches and an elbow, and Munoz looks for a body triangle off his back. Santos breaks it up with a straight right hand, and he swats away an upkick and stands up to look for a way back in. Santos chips at the left leg with kicks as he stands with Munoz his back, and Munoz occasionally kicks back to the knee. Santos wades back into the guard, and Munoz fastens the body lock again to keep Santos pinned on top of him. This allows Santos to pound away from on top, as the submission threats have slowed while Santos is doing some work courtesy of solid ground-and-pound. Dean asks Santos to work during a lull, and Santos rains down punches and hurts Munoz to make him turn to his side. Santos opens his foe’s nose up with ground strikes, and he stands up to drive a left hand to the jaw. Santos kicks the leg a few times before letting Munoz up. Munoz punches his way into a desperate takedown attempt, and Santos stuffs him and sets up a front choke. Munoz rolls to his back before the submission can be set up, and he starts hunting for upkicks until Dean has him stand up. They let front kicks do again at the same time, and Munoz kicks a second time and gets knocked to his back with a right hand while off-balance. Santos pounds on his opponent right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3
The last round begins with a glove touch, and Santos kicks Munoz in the thigh and it bounces up to the cup. Munoz drops to a knee, and he leans against the wall as he figuratively licks his wounds. Munoz holds his midsection because of the pain he endured from the second powerful groin strike. Dean has someone bring the bucket in case Munoz is forced to vomit, but the fouled fighter signals that he is not going to do so. Munoz stands after about two minutes, and Dean has no choice but to deduct one point from Santos for the second foul of its type. Munoz is ready to go again, and Santos is enraged. Munoz starts off looking for a takedown, and Santos throws him to the ground angrily like a sack of potatoes. Munoz allows this so he can open his guard up and try to lock Santos down or look for a submission, but it only results in him staying on his back for a time. Santos lets the body triangle clamp around him so that he can start up with ground-and-pound, and Santos does exactly this for a time. Santos jumps back to his feet, and Munoz fires off upkicks and trips Santos to his back. Munoz climbs back upright and gives chase, throwing haymakers at his opponent until they are driven to the fence. Munoz, getting pushed to the wall, jumps guard with a guillotine choke. Santos keeps tightly pressed against the fencing to prevent any leverage for the sub, and he lowers Munoz to the mat and breaks out of the grip. Santos gets pulled into the closed guard when he goes horizontal, and he opens up with punches to the body and head. Santos sneaks an elbow up top, prompting Munoz to throw his legs up for an armbar. When Santos scampers away, Munoz implores him to test his wares there again. Dean stands them up before this give-and-take ensues, and Munoz answers this by sprinting at Santos and sweeping him off his feet with a successful takedown. Munoz looks to get off strikes, only to get swept and dumped to his back. With seconds to spare, Munoz explodes back to his feet, and Santos leaps at him with a flying cartwheel kick out of the capoeira playbook. Munoz dodges it, and he crashes forward with a flying knee. The fight ends, and it will all hinge on if any judges scored the first round in favor of Munoz.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9 (28-28)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Santos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 9-9 (29-27 Santos)

The Official Result
Daniel Santos def. Johnny Munoz Jr. via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Angelo picks Daniel Santos confidently, noting his dangerous striking and BJJ, though he has low grappling IQ. He is slightly less confident due to the fight being canceled previously for an abscess, but still believes Santos should win. He thinks Santos' pressure and power will be too much for Muñoz, who doesn't like being crowded. Angelo has bets on Santos but not in the safety parlay.

"I do think Daniel Santos wins this fight pretty confident he wins this fight"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody also picks Santos, calling him a big fan. He notes Santos's forward pressure and aggressive style, and that Muñoz has cardio issues and low volume. Cody expects Santos to win by knockout or decision as Muñoz fades. He thinks the -220 line is a bit stiff but still picks Santos.

"I love his forward pressures aggressive style he's a super super fun guy every single time he goes out there uh Heart of a Lion"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked Jun 3, 2023 (fight day)
Johnny Muñoz Jr.

Connor picks Muñoz for consistency, having picked him previously. He acknowledges that Santos' pressure is a major threat, but believes Muñoz's jab will be effective early, similar to how Shabazian used his jab against Santos. Connor admits Muñoz is not creative, but thinks he can land enough jabs to win rounds, though he recognizes Santos' wildness makes this a risky pick.

"I'm still gonna pick moonyo's because I did it already consistency consistency"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jun 1, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Daniel picks Daniel Santos, noting that he is the more aggressive and technical fighter, though he takes risks. He believes Santos can overwhelm Muñoz with pressure and chaos, and that Muñoz doesn't like being backed up. He mentions Santos' grappling is underrated, having tapped out a high-level grappler in training.

"my pick is Daniel Willie cast Santos"
JA
Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Jacob picks Santos, citing his high-pressure Muay Thai style and ability to get dropped and bounce back. He thinks Muñoz doesn't like being crowded and lacks the takedowns to keep Santos down. Jacob notes Muñoz's only path to victory is an early takedown and grind, but Santos' scrambling and offensive wrestling should prevent that. He is confident Santos wins.

"I absolutely love Willy cat in this matchup because he does have that nice high Muay Thai style and it gets in your facing his non-stop pressure"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jun 1, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Santos is an aggressive forward-pressure fighter with power and BJJ. He will crash the pocket and land big shots. Muñoz is live for a submission if he can get it to the ground, but Santos' power and pace will be too much. Santos will knock him out in the second round.

knockout round 2
"give me Daniel Santos by knockout let's call it second round"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Paul picks Daniel Santos confidently. He loves Santos's forward pressure and aggression, especially in the small Apex cage. He notes Santos is hittable but has a heart of a lion and will break opponents down over time. Paul contrasts Muñoz's questionable cardio and low volume, expecting Santos to take over in later rounds. He acknowledges Santos's loss to Julio Arce but sees that as a tough debut matchup.

"I'll take Willy cat to get the job done"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 29, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

The MMA Guru picks Daniel Santos, citing a lack of talent in Johnny Muñoz Jr.'s game. He notes Santos has skill in how he throws shots, pressures fighters, and cuts off the octagon, despite having striking defense issues. He criticizes Muñoz for being well-rounded but unremarkable, and points to his loss to Tony Gravely. The Guru predicts Santos will win by TKO against the cage, but if it goes to decision, it will be close.

Santos by TKO
"I'm definitely gonna side with him over Johnny Munoz I like him over Johnny Munoz because I just don't see any talent in Johnny Manuel's game"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jun 3, 2023 (fight day)
Daniel Santos

Zane picks Santos, sticking with his previous analysis that Santos' relentless pressure and volume will overwhelm Muñoz's one-dimensional jab. He notes that Muñoz's game is built almost entirely around his jab, and Santos' wild, high-output style will break Muñoz's footwork and force him into exchanges where he is vulnerable. Zane believes Santos' aggression and durability will be too much for Muñoz to handle over three rounds.

"I am gonna stick with that and pick daniel santos to be relentless enough and pressuring enough and violent enough to get moonyo's off of his jab"
KO (punches and knee) R2 4:28 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Oct 01, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Daniel Santos 1 57 of 106 53% 67 of 118 3 of 6 50% 0 0 2:04
John Castañeda 1 69 of 134 51% 71 of 137 2 of 4 50% 0 0 0:52
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Daniel Santos 1 40 of 69 57% 50 of 80 2 of 2 100% 0 0 1:40
John Castañeda 0 19 of 46 41% 19 of 46 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:15
2 Daniel Santos 0 17 of 37 45% 17 of 38 1 of 4 25% 0 0 0:24
John Castañeda 1 50 of 88 56% 52 of 91 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:37
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Daniel Santos 57 of 106 53% 45 of 89 8 of 13 4 of 4 41 of 87 8 of 10 8 of 9
John Castañeda 69 of 134 51% 52 of 111 14 of 19 3 of 4 53 of 114 14 of 18 2 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Daniel Santos 40 of 69 57% 34 of 61 3 of 5 3 of 3 27 of 53 5 of 7 8 of 9
John Castañeda 19 of 46 41% 15 of 39 2 of 5 2 of 2 12 of 38 6 of 7 1 of 1
2 Daniel Santos 17 of 37 45% 11 of 28 5 of 8 1 of 1 14 of 34 3 of 3 0 of 0
John Castañeda 50 of 88 56% 37 of 72 12 of 14 1 of 2 41 of 76 8 of 11 1 of 1
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
John Castaneda vs. Daniel Gustavo Santos

Round 1
Moving things right along, another fight is on the docket at 140 pounds, but in the men’s divisions. Castaneda (19-5, 2-1 UFC) will look to make it three finishes in his last three outings, while Chute Boxe Diego Lima rep Santos (8-2, 0-1 UFC) has not yet been stopped as a pro. Whether something has to give in that regard, referee Keith Peterson will be the first to know and the last to let nonsense in. The two competitors touch ‘em up, and Santos walks straight into a low kick. Castaneda gets off a few punches on the inside, and a low kick as he circles out. Santos strings several punches together, and he lands a few before shooting in for a double. Castaneda falls to his back and sets up a guillotine choke, and he uses the submission to work his way back to his feet. Castaneda presses his man up against the cage, and he narrowly avoids a blistering elbow upside the head. Santos keeps his foot on the gas when they separate, and he fires off a few quick kicks only to get cracked with an overhand right. Castaneda release a head kick from up close, and Santos’ legs nearly give out beneath him. Castaneda crashes forward and shoves Santos to the mat in an effort to finish the job, and the Brazilian threatens with an armbar off his back to keep Castaneda honest. “Sexi Mexi” stands up and gets nailed with an upkick, and he lets Santos back up while he recovers. When Santos stands, his balance is still not with him, as Castaneda drills him with a left hand and sets Santos on his seat. Castaneda again moves to top position, and he shifts right to mount and starts dropping down strikes. Santos somehow recovers enough to get out of the bad posture and get back to his feet, but Castaneda is on him tightly. Castaneda ragdolls him down to the mat, and when “Willycat” scrambles back up, Castaneda hits a dramatic mat return to put Santos down with an exclamation point. Castaneda backs away and stands up, this time avoiding the upkick, and Santos follows him and looses a spinning back kick. Castaneda walks through a few punches and boots Santos upside the head, and Santos is practically out on his feet. Castaneda charges forward, unloading with punches, and Santos is throwing back even though he might be in big trouble. Santos, possibly on autopilot, slings heavy leather to keep Castaneda from putting him away, and he connects with a heavy knee to give Castaneda pause. Santos gets the upper hand as Castaneda is now struggling, and he lets go with his hands and makes Castaneda shell up. Santos gains steam and leaps at him with a flying knee, and it connects right before the horn sounds. What a round!

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda

Round 2
Before the round begins, Santos has a piece of tape clipped, allowing them a few precious additional seconds to recover. Santos is the one who leads the dance in the second round, possibly with momentum turning to his side, and he loads up on a body kick. The foot skims off the cup, and Castaneda reacts as Peterson pauses the action. In less than a minute, Castaneda is able to get his wind back and he is ready to go. Santos starts off by releasing a body kick that is not low this time, and Castaneda reels and backs off. Santos swings a high kick at him, and Castaneda grabs him from behind and drags him to the mat. “Willycat” scrambles wildly and powers back up, and he latches on to a guillotine choke that allows him to lower Castaneda to the floor. Castaneda shakes it off and gets back up, and Santos is not letting him breathe. Santos rings his bell with a few right hands, and Castaneda appears the worse for wear after seven minutes of furious action. Castaneda reaches up a high kick that is too slow to get through, and Santos scores leg kicks and a body kick. When Castaneda responds with his own kick to the body, Santos times a takedown entry and drags “Sexi Mexi” to a knee. Castaneda climbs back up, and Santos jumps at him with a knee that belts him in the face. Castaneda is stunned, and he starts pushing the pace again as he walks Santos down and lands with several strikes. Santos spins with a back fist that hurts Castaneda, and Castaneda does a quick count of his teeth as Santos bears down on him. Castaneda tries to back him off with a few punches, and Santos suddenly goes up high with a head kick that Castaneda eats. Santos has a kick checked high, but his pressure is getting the better of Castaneda, as he knocks Castaneda back to the wall with a right hand. Castaneda has his hands low, and Santos is teeing off on him and working him over.
Santos rips a few punches to the body, and Castaneda’s eyes betray his otherwise calm poker face. Santos chains together a few punches that allow him to knee Castaneda in the chin, and Castaneda’s legs go out from beneath him. Before Santos can land a second that he has chambered, Castaneda falls to the ground, and Peterson knows that Castaneda’s tank is empty and he calls it a night.
What a huge comeback from the Chute Boxe fighter, who earns his first UFC win impressively after overcoming a great deal of adversity.

The Official Result
Daniel Gustavo Santos def. John Castaneda R2 4:28 via KO (Punches and Knee)
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody leans towards Daniel Santos as a plus money underdog, expecting a low-volume fight where Santos's power and killer intent could be the difference. He acknowledges Castañeda's durability and pressure but thinks Santos has a puncher's chance. He is not fully confident and may not bet it.

"I'll lean towards Daniel Santos just on the fact that I think it's going to be relatively low volume Santos throws with with killer intent every single time"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
John Castañeda

Paul leans towards John Castañeda, citing his durability, forward pressure, and ability to break opponents. He notes that Santos has a history of first-round finishes but fades if he doesn't get the early finish. He expects Castañeda to mix in wrestling and outwork Santos in the later rounds. He considers live betting Castañeda if Santos wins the first round.

Live betting Castañeda if Santos wins first round
"I think I would lean towards castanata still but again when I'm looking at this card and it's like who is potentially going to blow it as one of the favorites"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2022 (4 days before fight)
John Castañeda

The MMA Guru is high on John Castañeda, calling him one of his favorite favorites on the card. He believes Castañeda's smothering wrestling and fundamental striking will overwhelm Daniel Santos, who he views as a wild Muay Thai striker not ready for UFC level. He predicts Castañeda will get a submission, possibly an arm triangle, after wearing Santos down on the ground. He includes Castañeda in his parlay.

submission finish (arm triangle)
"I think he just overwhelms on the floor and then eventually gets the finish."
LOSS vs Julio Arce
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · Apr 09, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Julio Arce 0 127 of 265 47% 127 of 265 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:18
Daniel Santos 0 49 of 229 21% 49 of 229 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:46
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Julio Arce 0 39 of 78 50% 39 of 78 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daniel Santos 0 17 of 70 24% 17 of 70 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:35
2 Julio Arce 0 41 of 78 52% 41 of 78 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:17
Daniel Santos 0 18 of 79 22% 18 of 79 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:11
3 Julio Arce 0 47 of 109 43% 47 of 109 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Daniel Santos 0 14 of 80 17% 14 of 80 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Julio Arce 127 of 265 47% 100 of 228 25 of 35 2 of 2 125 of 262 2 of 3 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 49 of 229 21% 27 of 197 15 of 24 7 of 8 46 of 225 3 of 4 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Julio Arce 39 of 78 50% 34 of 71 5 of 7 0 of 0 37 of 75 2 of 3 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 17 of 70 24% 10 of 61 4 of 6 3 of 3 16 of 68 1 of 2 0 of 0
2 Julio Arce 41 of 78 52% 28 of 61 11 of 15 2 of 2 41 of 78 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 18 of 79 22% 9 of 65 6 of 10 3 of 4 17 of 78 1 of 1 0 of 0
3 Julio Arce 47 of 109 43% 38 of 96 9 of 13 0 of 0 47 of 109 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daniel Santos 14 of 80 17% 8 of 71 5 of 8 1 of 1 13 of 79 1 of 1 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Julio Arce (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Daniel Gustavo Santos

Round 1
After a much-needed week away for the UFC, the promotion is coming back guns blazing as it takes to Jacksonville, Fla., for a tentpole pay-per-view. Two title fights and a very highly anticipated welterweight showdown will top off the dozen-bout card, and we begin with a fight scheduled at bantamweight that hit a slight snag. Arce (17-5, 4-3 UFC), who missed weight by half a pound, will welcome “Willycat” Santos (8-1, 0-0 UFC) to the promotion. The Brazilian was originally slated to make his debut in 2021, but a pair of fight cancelations pushed it back to this April event. Referee James Larry Folsom will oversee the first match of the evening, and there is an apologetic glove touch offered by Arce and accepted. The first strike attempt comes from Santos, who comes up short with a high kick as Arce bats it away and flicks out a jab. Santos bears down on him with a standard Chute Boxe-style plodding approach, and Arce dips out of the way when Santos swings wide. A spinning strike gets pulled back from Santos when he finds it would not reach his intended target, and Arce stays on the outside with long single strikes. Arce interrupts Santos coming in, but the Brazilian wings a few hooks at him that partially connect. Arce’s jab continues to find its home as Santos’ strikes have more arc on them, and the New Yorker is able to slide out of the way before they reach him. When Santos punches his way into a clinch, he punishes Arce with a clean elbow. He pushes off, and then storms forward with an up-elbow in the vein of Anderson Silva. Arce wears it well and walks into a right hand, but he does not seem overly concerned as he uses his footwork to stay safe. Santos swings and misses with a spinning hook kick, and Arce’s strikes are still very fundamental and effective, with a jab and a two that comes after every so often. Another spinning kick from Santos misses the mark, and Arce tags him with a few more crisp punches. Santos is still throwing everything he has into his strikes, and Arce sees them coming and evades the brunt of most of them. Arce times his jab and a cross to follow as Santos cannot seem to figure it out, as the Brazilian still meanders forward recklessly while throwing haymakers. One jab is followed by a head kick, and Santos absorbs it without missing a beat. Santos lets go with a heavy leg kick, and Arce replies with a head kick that rings his bell. Knowing Santos is hurt but still dangerous, Arce picks and pokes away at his opponent until the round ends, rather than burning his gas tank searching for a finish with seconds to go.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 2
The fighters come out of their corners to touch gloves in the middle, and Arce resumes his accurate jabbing approach. Santos, on the other hand, is far more aggressively, jumping in the air with a knee and throwing bombs. Arce takes one on the chin that gives him pause, and he is able to dance out of the way when more come from Santos. Seeing Santos charging at him to wind up with a huge right hand, Arce changes levels at the right moment to trip Santos’ leg out beneath him. Arce does not follow him to the ground, and instead just appeared to want to give Santos something else to think about. Santos gets back to his feet and continues his constant forward motion while Arce slips and rips his strikes. Santos lands at the end of a right hand, and Arce escapes out the back door and dodges a spinning wheel kick. Arce is far more mobile of the two, circling on the outside and pawing away strikes that come at him. The Brazilian lands a kick to the body, and Arce returns fire with two to the midsection, with the second colliding with the hip as Arce withdraws his foot gingerly. Arce pushes out a jab as Santos walks him down, and he dings Santos with a head kick. Santos bites down on his gumshield and throws heavy leather, clipping Arce but not slowing him down. Instead, Arce smartly circles away and targets the body with his fists. Santos is the bus that couldn’t slow down, continuously ignoring the offense coming his way and taking practically every jab flush. Santos begins to telegraph his wide strikes, and Arce is able to manage this by planting a clean one-two on the jaw. “Willycat” pays it no mind, steps back and launches a high kick that comes up short. Santos kicks low, and that strike does land, but a head kick shortly thereafter is off-target. Arce scores a right hand, throws a push kick to the chest, and has his leg caught. Before Santos can do anything with it, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce

Round 3
There is a final clap of hands to start off Round 3, and Arce gets on his bike early when Santos rushes at him with little defense. Santos gets popped on the chops from a couple sharp Arce punches, and he tries to let loose with a spinning kick that ends up colliding with the wall instead of his opponent. Arce blocks a body kick, and he paws out a handful of jabs as Santos looks for a superman punch. The heavier man is much sharper and practically landing at will, while Santos is all offense without landing much of note. Arce lands a jab and follows it with a left to the ribcage, and Santos grimaces and continues plodding ahead. Santos gives a half-hearted spinning high kick, and then changes things up with an Andy Hug-esque spinning kick to the thigh. Arce walks it off and peppers his foe with jabs and low kicks, doing well enough to keep Santos at bay or disturb him long enough to not get tagged by one of his power shots. Arce sticks him with a jab, slides out of the way from a swinging hook, and comes out with another jab. A double jab into a left hand stings Santos for a moment, but the Brazilian is not going to stop pressing forward. Even though he misses with a spinning back fist and a jumping switch kick, he does not lose heart, ever pushing forward and attacking. Arce can see most of these big shots coming and be out of harm’s way well in time, only to reset and put a jab in Santos’ face. A spinning back fist from Santos does not connect, but a kick to the midsection does push off of Arce’s liver. Arce replies with a head kick, not showing any concern with anything coming back at him. The jabs have begun to mark up Santos’ face, with swelling around the left eye. Throwing caution to the wind, Santos jumps forward with a rolling thunder kick, and Arce rocks him when Santos is on his knees after missing with the kick. Santos gets up, and he initiates a brawl that Arce obliges. They throw down right to the final bell, and this one is going to the scorecards but there shouldn’t be much doubt on who will get their hand raised.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Arce (30-27 Arce)

The Official Result
Julio Arce def. Daniel Gustavo Santos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2022 (10 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Angelo picks Julio Arce but notes he likes Daniel Santos as a live underdog. He thinks Arce's wrestling can be key to slowing Santos' striking. He also likes a prop bet on Santos winning inside the distance with a safety net (refund if decision).

Daniel Santos wins inside the distance (decision no action) - safety net bet.
"juliars is the pick but i think what i'm going to do betting wise is daniel santos wins inside the distance but decision no action"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody leans towards Santos as an underdog, citing the unknown factor and Santos' two-and-a-half-year layoff for improvement. He notes Santos' spinning techniques and aggression, and that Arce has been knocked out before. Cody thinks Santos could be a live dog and plans to play him in DFS due to low ownership.

"i think i am going to play this santos kid"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Apr 8, 2022 (1 day before fight)
Daniel Santos

Daniel Levi acknowledges Julio Arce's experience and fundamental soundness but sees Arce as having peaked, while Santos is a young, improving fighter with aggression and wrestling defense. He is concerned about Santos's three-year layoff and first time under bright lights, but believes Santos at 27 is a better version than at 24. At plus money, he is willing to roll the dice on the upset.

"at a price like this i'm willing to roll the odds and take him here"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 5, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

I love the underdog price on Santos. He is wild, aggressive, and crashes the pocket, which is where Arce struggles. Arce has trouble when opponents engage with him in the pocket. Santos can land big shots and possibly get a knockout. I'm taking Santos to win, probably by KO.

"I love this underdog price tag that we're getting on Daniel Santos at plus 160... I'm gonna take Daniel Santos I'm gonna pick him to win this fight probably by KO."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul picks Arce but has a bad feeling about it. He notes Arce's skill set as a former golden glove boxer and BJJ black belt, but worries about his chin after being knocked out by Song. Paul thinks Santos is dangerous with spinning attacks but is hittable and lacks defense. He expects Arce to win on skill but acknowledges Santos could clip him.

"i'm going to take rj but i got a feeling that i might be paying for this one"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 4, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Julio Arce

The MMA Guru picks Julio Arce, citing his experience and veteran savvy. He expects Santos to start fast but fade, with Arce winning the second and third rounds. He predicts a 29-28 decision, noting that Arce is a high-level unranked bantamweight with good wins.

"i am going to be going with julio arse here in the opening fight of the card"
Expert Picks (6)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2022 (10 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Angelo picks Julio Arce but notes he likes Daniel Santos as a live underdog. He thinks Arce's wrestling can be key to slowing Santos' striking. He also likes a prop bet on Santos winning inside the distance with a safety net (refund if decision).

Daniel Santos wins inside the distance (decision no action) - safety net bet.
"juliars is the pick but i think what i'm going to do betting wise is daniel santos wins inside the distance but decision no action"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

Cody leans towards Santos as an underdog, citing the unknown factor and Santos' two-and-a-half-year layoff for improvement. He notes Santos' spinning techniques and aggression, and that Arce has been knocked out before. Cody thinks Santos could be a live dog and plans to play him in DFS due to low ownership.

"i think i am going to play this santos kid"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Apr 8, 2022 (1 day before fight)
Daniel Santos

Daniel Levi acknowledges Julio Arce's experience and fundamental soundness but sees Arce as having peaked, while Santos is a young, improving fighter with aggression and wrestling defense. He is concerned about Santos's three-year layoff and first time under bright lights, but believes Santos at 27 is a better version than at 24. At plus money, he is willing to roll the dice on the upset.

"at a price like this i'm willing to roll the odds and take him here"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 5, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Daniel Santos

I love the underdog price on Santos. He is wild, aggressive, and crashes the pocket, which is where Arce struggles. Arce has trouble when opponents engage with him in the pocket. Santos can land big shots and possibly get a knockout. I'm taking Santos to win, probably by KO.

"I love this underdog price tag that we're getting on Daniel Santos at plus 160... I'm gonna take Daniel Santos I'm gonna pick him to win this fight probably by KO."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Julio Arce

Paul picks Arce but has a bad feeling about it. He notes Arce's skill set as a former golden glove boxer and BJJ black belt, but worries about his chin after being knocked out by Song. Paul thinks Santos is dangerous with spinning attacks but is hittable and lacks defense. He expects Arce to win on skill but acknowledges Santos could clip him.

"i'm going to take rj but i got a feeling that i might be paying for this one"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 4, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Julio Arce

The MMA Guru picks Julio Arce, citing his experience and veteran savvy. He expects Santos to start fast but fade, with Arce winning the second and third rounds. He predicts a 29-28 decision, noting that Arce is a high-level unranked bantamweight with good wins.

"i am going to be going with julio arse here in the opening fight of the card"