Way back in mid-2006, Santiago made his debut at Ultimate Fight Night 5, finishing Justin Levens in just over two minutes by knockout. At Ultimate Fight Night 6, Santiago was knocked out by Chris Leben early in the second round after stunning Leben in the first and taking the round on the scorecards. Next up was Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 7, and the storyline was similar to the Belcher fight. Santiago took an early round, but was eventually knocked out by a head kick midway through the third. With a 1-2 UFC record, he was released from the company.
Now he's back though, and his his first bout will be at UFC 130 against the All American, Brian Stann. MMAJunkie caught up with him to talk about his second stint in the UFC, and his opponent this Saturday:
"It's a new beginning," Santiago said. "Everything I've done in Japan is over, and now I have to come back here and do everything again. Of course, it was good to experience fighting in other places and the tournaments. Now I have to prove to the fans I belong with the top contenders."
His opinion on opponent Brian Stann:
"Very tough opponent," Santiago said. "I come in here and have a good challenge. He's improving with every fight. He's getting better and better. I need to come in the UFC and show what I can do."
And what he thinks of the UFC in general:
"They treat me so good, the UFC," Santiago said. "I can't complain. It's a good shot for me.
"The only thing I can give the UFC back is come inside the cage and give one of those fights of the night."
A win over Stann at UFC 130 would immediately put Santiago amongst the top contenders in the UFC's middleweight division, and he seems eager to take advantage of this opportunity."The only thing I can give the UFC back is come inside the cage and give one of those fights of the night."