Featherweight
Daniel Santos
“Willycat”·
Uberaba, MG, Brazil
Pro record
15-3-0
Model Elo
1585
#398 of 1994
- Age
- 31
- Height
- 5'7"
- Reach
- 67"
- Stance
- —
- Team
- Chute Boxe
- Born
- Uberaba, MG, Brazil
- UFC debut
- Apr 8, 2022
Profile
Overview
Daniel Santos, "Willycat," is a Featherweight from Uberaba, Brazil, fighting out of Chute Boxe, and his UFC record is 5-2. Three of the five wins went the distance and the other two ended in the second round. He has never finished anyone in the first.
He lost his UFC debut to Julio Arce, then won four straight, the longest streak of his run. Dooho Choi ended that streak with a knockout, and Santos carries a one-fight win streak into his next fight.
UFC Career
Santos debuted at UFC 273 in April 2022 and dropped a unanimous decision to Arce. His first UFC win came that September: a second-round TKO of John Castaneda at 4:28. A decision over Johnny Munoz followed in June 2023.
The next fight was almost two years later. At UFC 315 in May 2025, he took a unanimous decision from JeongYeong Lee. Then came his quickest finish: a second-round stoppage of JooSang Yoo at UFC 320, 21 seconds into the round.
The four-fight streak ended at the hands of Choi, who stopped him in the second round at 4:29, a single second from the end of the round. Santos answered with a unanimous decision over Bolaji Oki at UFC 333.
Seven fights, five wins, and no fight that ended in the first round.
Fighting Style
Santos is a busy striker who also brings a lot of wrestling. He throws and lands at a high volume, and he is quick to shoot for takedowns. He is also hard to take down.
That output comes with a cost. He takes more punishment than most fighters, since his accuracy and defense are only average. Submissions are not part of his game. He rarely hunts for them and has no UFC submission wins.
His finishes follow the same pattern: both stoppages are KO/TKO wins, and both came in round two.
Notable Wins
- JooSang Yoo — KO/TKO, round 2 (0:21), UFC 320 (2025)
- John Castaneda — KO/TKO, round 2 (4:28), UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan (2022)
- JeongYeong Lee — unanimous decision, UFC 315 (2025)
Quick Facts
- Division: Featherweight
- UFC record: 5-2
- Professional record (all promotions): 15-3-0
- UFC debut: 2022
- Reach: 67"
- Height: 5'7"
- Team: Chute Boxe
- Born: Uberaba, MG, Brazil
Written from MMA ProTips fight data, updated Nov 10, 2026.
UFC by the numbers
- UFC record
- 5–2
- since 2022
- Finish rate
- 40%
- 2 of 5 wins
- 1st-round finishes
- 0
- Elite wins
- 0
- vs opponents rated 1700+ at the time
- Longest win streak
- 4
- Current streak
- W1
- wins in a row
- Octagon time
- 1h 24m
- avg 12:03 per fight
- Opposition
- 1552
- avg opponent Elo (1500 = average)
Best wins
Ranked by the opponent's Elo rating going into the fight.
- 1600opp. Elo
unanimous decision, R3 · UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena · May 9, 2025
- 1575opp. Elo
KO/TKO, R2 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Sep 30, 2022
- 1566opp. Elo
KO/TKO, R2 · UFC 320 · Oct 4, 2025
Career stats (UFC)
Career UFC averages. The white tick on each bar marks the UFC average.
Striking
UFC avg 3.35 · better than average
UFC avg 3.95 · below average
UFC avg 45% · about average
UFC avg 52% · about average
UFC avg 0.43 · below average
Grappling
UFC avg 1.52 · better than average
UFC avg 15% · better than average
UFC avg 52% · better than average
UFC avg 0.58 · below average
Where the strikes land
Where the strikes are thrown
Average fight time: 12:03
Fight history (7)
| Res | Opponent | Method | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| W |  Bolaji OkiRecord after: 5-2 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. EvloevOct 24, 2026 |
| L |  Dooho ChoiRecord after: 4-2 | KO/TKORound 2 · 4:29 | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs CostaMay 16, 2026 |
| W |  JooSang YooRecord after: 4-1 | KO/TKORound 2 · 0:21 | UFC 320Oct 4, 2025 |
| W |  JeongYeong LeeRecord after: 3-1 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della MaddalenaMay 9, 2025 |
| W |  Johnny MunozRecord after: 2-1 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs. AlbaziJun 2, 2023 |
| W |  John CastanedaRecord after: 1-1 | KO/TKORound 2 · 4:28 | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. YanSep 30, 2022 |
| L |  Julio ArceRecord after: 0-1 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean ZombieApr 8, 2022 |