Issue 164
February 2018
- Age: 25
- Weight: 155
- Record: 15-4-0
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Promotion: Brave
Young Brazilian Luan Santiago spent 2017 showing the crowds of Brave Combat Federation just why he’s been touted as one of the best up-and-comers in his home nation.
With back-to-back TKO victories under the promotional banner, he’s proven himself to be a great asset to the ever-growing promotion. Santiago sports a 12-2 record, with seven straight victories, and 10 of those have come via KO.
The rangy southpaw covers a tremendous amount of distance with accurate and devastating straight punches, and is clinical when he has his opponents hurt. Two defeats early in his career have served as catalysts for his development, as he looks more and more like the full package under the tutelage of Cristiano Marcello at Curitiba’s CM System gym.
Q. How did you begin your MMA career?
Luan Santiago: I already trained Muay Thai and some other martial arts and my dream was always to become an MMA fighter. I always looked up to Mirko Cro Cop. I was watching the UFC events on TV and that only made me want to be a fighter even more. It wasn’t easy for me, I had to cross the city of Salvador, Bahia, where I was born to attend the classes. Worse than that, sometimes I didn’t even have money for transportation. I remember during the carnival in Salvador, which is one of the biggest street parties in the whole country, I was working as a bouncer, up to 6am every damn day. It was quite close to my friend Marcos Araújo’s gym, where I used to sleep on the mats until the 10am training session. That was my life for a long time, but I didn’t quit.
Q. When did you move to Curitiba to train?
Santiago: I was fighting at 170lb until I suffered my first defeat, which happened in my second professional fight. Right after it, I moved to Curitiba, through my great friend Léo Pateira who arranged everything with Cristiano Marcello. They saw I was a hungry young talent. They paid my ticket from Salvador to Curitiba, a 1,500-mile journey, I came with only two clothes in the bag. I started working hard with my coach Cristiano Marcello, who I consider a father, and two of the best coaches in the world: UFC fighter Felipe Silva and Brazilian wrestler Marcelo Zulu. From then on, we started our journey.
Q. Were you always the same aggressive fighter at the start of your career?
Santiago: Always. That’s was something that Léo Pateira always talked about and something that could make me stand out among the other fighters. He told me I had something special, and this aggressiveness made me be where I am now.
Q. Do your coaches try to limit your aggression at all?
Santiago: Well, it was funny because my style was a bit unconventional and they couldn’t get it. After a while, we clicked, so we all know that beyond the aggressiveness there’s also the calm and lots of thought invested in it. I am a predator, so I work with the coldness of one.
Q. How important is it for you to always put on entertaining fights?
Santiago: I love the crowd, the fans. I really appreciate each and every person that follows and admires my work. I wouldn’t be anything without the fans; they’re the reason why I fight the way I fight.
Q. How significant it was for you to win Brazilian Fighter of the Year in 2016?
Santiago: The Oswaldo Paquetá Award is considered the Oscar of Brazilian MMA, like the World MMA Awards is for the international community. It represented of all my efforts. My coaches and I work with goals and when 2016 started I said I was going to be the best athlete in Brazil during that year. Now I’m focused on being the best fighter the world.
Q. How soon will it be before UFC/Bellator try to sign you?
Santiago: I’m not rushing things. I’m only 23 and I’ll be running over every single fighter who dares to stand in my way. Before that, I have to beat Ottman Azaitar and put an end to the story he’s been telling people – that he’s the best or a worthy champion.
Q. Where do you see yourself at the start of 2019?
On top, where I belong. This is the place God has for me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be anything. I have to work hard and make it happen.
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