Gabriel Santos Record: 12-2-0

Octagon run

Santos opened his UFC tenure against stiff competition. In March 2023 at UFC 286 he dropped a tight split decision to the unbeaten Lerone Murphy, a contender who would go on to climb deep into the rankings, in a fight many felt could have gone either way. He followed that in June 2023 with a second-round knockout loss to the heavy-handed David Onama, leaving him 0–2 to start his promotional run. Rather than fade, Santos rebuilt. In September 2024 he ground out a unanimous-decision win over the seasoned veteran Yizha, then delivered his statement performance in February 2025 at UFC 312, submitting Jack Jenkins with a third-round rear-naked choke to push his UFC run back into the win column.

Fighting style

Santos is one of the more well-rounded featherweights on the roster, with a finish rate around 67 percent and a record that splits cleanly between disciplines: five submission wins, three knockouts, and four decisions. The jiu-jitsu remains the backbone – his rear-naked choke is a constant threat once he establishes control – but his Brazilian regional run showed real diversity, with finishes coming via head kicks and body work as well as the mat. His two UFC losses both came against high-end opposition, one a split-decision squeaker and one a stoppage, which speaks more to the level of competition than to any glaring hole in his game.

Career highlights

• LFA champion — won a title in Legacy Fighting Alliance off a run of finishes that earned him his UFC contract.
• UFC 312 submission win — choked out Jack Jenkins in the third round to turn his promotional run around.
• Versatile finisher — mixed five submissions and three knockouts across his 12 wins, with stoppages via choke, head kick and liver shot.