Taila Santos was able to start her PFL debut off to a flying start after stopping her opponent Ilaa Joanne in the opening round.
Taila Santos Tastes Victory at PFL
Taila Santos is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Title Contender. She has since left the UFC to compete in the PFL and is starting in the women’s flyweight tournament this season. She made her debut today (April 4th, 2024) when she was able to submit Ilara Joanna in the first round.
Santos was able to enjoy a quick and simple night. The Brazilian native was able to control her opponent and secure the finish in under 4 minutes getting the finish in 3 minutes 57 seconds. Joanna was able to land a punch onto Santos after producing a wild combination. However, other than this piece of action there wasn’t much success for the former Bellator fighter.
Santos was able to use her size and her strength to her advantage. She was able to use them to take Ilara to the ground and control the fight from there. While on the ground Santos was able to lock in the rear-naked choke and finish the fight.
Unexpected Exit for the UFC
The former number four ranked UFC fighter now fights under the PFL banner. However, she did unexpectedly leave the UFC which left the MMA community surprised and confused as to why she had left.
Santos has explained her decision to leave the UFC to MMAMania. She was able to have a lot of success during her time in the UFC. Taila Santos even gave the former UFC Title holder at the time Valentina Shevchenko all she could when they fought.
The fight was close with Shevchenko clinching the victory however, fans are split on the result. Santos has now been able to snap a two-fight losing streak. These defeats came against the former UFC champion and former title contender Erin Blanchfield during her time in the UFC.
