« The Legend »
17-1-0 (W-L-D)
Loss breakdown not available.
Mairon Santos won season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2024, which opened the door to the UFC’s lightweight division. The Brazilian has since posted a professional record of 17 wins against a single loss.
Born on June 10, 2000, in Duque de Caxias, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Mairon Santos discovered MMA watching the fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. He turned professional in 2019 on the Brazilian regional circuit, notably with Shooto Brazil, where he fought his first bouts against local opponents. In 2021, he left Brazil alone for Las Vegas to join Xtreme Couture, where he now does the bulk of his training alongside a group of professional fighters from several countries. That change of training environment preceded his rise through North American circuits, first in LFA and then the UFC.
Mairon Santos first strung together two wins in LFA, including a unanimous decision over Rafael Barbosa in March 2023, before joining season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter at featherweight. He won the final against Kaan Ofli by second-round KO on August 24, 2024, earning a UFC contract in the process. The promotion then placed him at lightweight, a heavier division than the one he competed in on the show. There he beat Francis Marshall by split decision on March 8, 2025, at UFC 313, then Sodiq Yusuff by unanimous decision on May 17, 2025. His most recent fight came against Muhammad Naimov on December 6, 2025, at UFC 323, stopping him by third-round TKO. Those three straight lightweight wins keep him unbeaten since joining the organization. His only professional loss dates back to February 2022, against Dan Argueta in LFA, by third-round TKO, before his run on The Ultimate Fighter. A fight against Akbar Abdullaev is reportedly planned for December 2026, pending confirmation by the promotion.
Mairon Santos builds his game around boxing and kickboxing. Of his 17 professional wins, 9 came by KO or TKO and none by submission, confirming a striker’s base rather than a wrestling or ground-specialist profile. The other 8 wins came by decision, including a split decision over Francis Marshall, a sign of his ability to hold up in closely contested fights against UFC-level opponents. His fastest win, a second-round KO in the Ultimate Fighter final, illustrates the punching power that remains his main asset as he entered the lightweight division, a tougher weight class than the featherweight division where he started the show.
Data updated on September 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
© 2026 MMA Official. All rights reserved.