The Brazilian light heavyweight underwent an MRI on Monday, which revealed a torn ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus on the fighter’s left knee, according to a report from Combate . Santos appeared to be compromised early in the fight, but he nonetheless went the distance against Jon Jones, losing a split decision in Saturday’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena.
Santos is likely to be out for at least eight months, if not longer. “Marreta” also injured his right knee, which had previously been surgically repaired, by compensating for the injury suffered in the fight vs. Jones. The extent of the damage to the right knee is not currently known.
“No complaints and no dwelling on the past, I left it all in the Octagon and did everything I could in the condition that I was in,” Santos recently wrote on Instagram.
Santos, who entered the contest on a four-bout winning streak, was given a six-month medical suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. In all likelihood, the 35-year-old Brazilian won’t return until some point in 2020.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Thiago "Marreta" Santos (@tmarretamma) on