Mairon Santos Seeks Redemption and Ranking Ascent Against Muhammad Naimov at UFC 323

Las Vegas, NV – Brazilian featherweight Mairon Santos is poised for a significant featherweight clash against Tajikistan’s Muhammad Naimov at UFC 323 this Saturday, an event set to unfold at the iconic T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The upcoming bout carries a unique personal weight for Santos, who returns to the very venue where his last appearance left an indelible mark of dissatisfaction, despite a contentious victory. For Santos, this fight represents more than just another step in his burgeoning career; it is an opportunity for profound personal and professional redemption.

Santos’s journey to this pivotal moment began with a successful run on a season of The Ultimate Fighter, culminating in a victory in August 2024 that officially brought him into the Ultimate Fighting Championship fold. His UFC debut followed, and by March 2025, he found himself back in Las Vegas for UFC 313, facing Francis Marshall. The outcome was a split decision in Santos’s favor, a result that immediately sparked debate among analysts and fans alike. The controversy stemmed from the close nature of the contest, with many observers, including Santos himself upon reviewing the footage, believing that Marshall had done enough to earn the nod. "I thought I deserved to lose," Santos candidly admitted following the fight, a sentiment that has fueled his drive for a more decisive performance in his return to the T-Mobile Arena.

The lingering taste of that controversial win has evidently sharpened Santos’s focus. "Fighting in Vegas is like fighting at home," Santos told MMA Fighting, emphasizing his comfort in the fight capital. "I’m excited. It’s going to be great because it’ll be at T-Mobile. Once again the UFC is putting me on a big card, the last pay-per-view of the year. It’s another opportunity to redeem myself from the last time I fought at T-Mobile and put on a great performance." His professional record currently stands at an impressive 16-1, with a perfect 3-0 under the UFC banner, a testament to his consistent performance despite the recent contentious decision.

Following the Marshall bout, Santos secured a clear, albeit unanimous decision, victory over Sodiq Yusuff in May at the UFC APEX. While technically contested at lightweight, Santos clarified that both he and Yusuff are natural featherweights, indicating the fight was more a temporary venture than a definitive move up in weight. This win, while decisive, still fell short of Santos’s ultimate goal for a definitive finish, further contributing to his desire to make a statement at UFC 323. The 25-year-old fighter maintains that the scale of the audience or the venue does not impact his focus. "Once the cage door closes, it could be UFC, LFA, or my backyard, my focus is always the same," he asserted, highlighting a professional mindset that prioritizes the opponent and the task at hand above external pressures.

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Standing opposite Santos in the octagon will be Muhammad Naimov, a formidable opponent hailing from Tajikistan, who brings his own compelling narrative to the cage. Naimov enters UFC 323 with a UFC record of 5-1, a testament to his rapid ascent within the promotion. His only setback under the UFC banner came against Felipe Lima, a loss that Santos himself acknowledges carries "no shame at all," given Lima’s pedigree. Naimov is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, having most recently secured a victory against Bogdan Grad in July, preceded by a decision win over Kaan Ofli. These performances have solidified Naimov’s reputation as a dangerous and consistent contender in the featherweight division.

Santos holds Naimov in high regard, even suggesting that his opponent is deserving of a ranked position within the division. "I’m very happy to be fighting him," Santos stated. "I don’t even know if he knows it, but LFA offered me this fight years ago. He was also fighting in the U.S. regional circuit, but days later I got a new opponent. I’ve always known who he was even before the UFC." This prior knowledge and mutual trajectory through the regional circuit, including the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), add another layer of intrigue to their upcoming encounter, suggesting a long-awaited clash between two fighters who were destined to meet at the sport’s highest level. "In my opinion, he should be ranked. He’s 5-1 in the UFC and only lost to Felipe Lima, which is no shame at all. Getting five UFC wins is really hard, and he beat some good guys. He’s a guy who will put me right at the door of the rankings," Santos elaborated, underscoring the high stakes for both competitors.

The stylistic matchup promises an engaging contest. Santos describes Naimov as a "complete opponent" who can execute various facets of mixed martial arts, yet paradoxically, he believes Naimov doesn’t specialize in any single area. This assessment informs Santos’s strategic approach. "I’m going in there to do what I do best, which is striking. That’s my mindset. I want to frustrate him wherever he decides to take the fight and win before the end," Santos articulated, signaling his intent to leverage his primary strength in stand-up exchanges while being prepared for Naimov’s versatile game.

A recurring theme for Santos leading into this fight is his ambition to secure a finish. His last two victories, against Marshall and Yusuff, both went the distance, a trend he is keen to reverse. "I’m training hard to finish this fight because my last two wins were decisions and that’s not how I want my fights to end," he declared. The controversial nature of the Marshall fight, in particular, left him hesitant in his subsequent bout. "I know what I can do. I could’ve pushed for the knockout in my last fight, but I think I was a bit hesitant because of my previous fight. And honestly, it was good to win by decision because the previous one had been controversial, and it felt good to get a clear win." With that phase now behind him, Santos envisions a definitive conclusion to his upcoming fight. "But now that phase is over, and in this fight, man, I do see myself knocking him out. Not in the first round, but in the second or third. I don’t think he’ll handle the pressure and I’ll knock him out." This explicit prediction of a knockout, specifically in the later rounds, indicates a calculated approach to overwhelming Naimov with sustained pressure.

Beyond the immediate challenge of Naimov, Santos has a clear vision for his future within the UFC’s competitive landscape, particularly concerning his weight class. The 25-year-old views his recent lightweight bout against Yusuff as an outlier, a circumstance born from both fighters being natural featherweights rather than a deliberate move to 155 pounds. His long-term ambition remains firmly rooted in the featherweight division (145 lbs), at least for the foreseeable future. "I see myself like a Max Holloway, who built his career at 145 and eventually moved up," Santos explained, referencing the former featherweight champion who later tested the waters at lightweight. "I want to fight at 145. I think it’s an interesting division. I like my height and reach for the weight class, it fits my game. I feel 145 is better for me and where I want to stay right now."

However, Santos also acknowledges the potential benefits of a future transition to lightweight. The physical demands of cutting weight to 145 pounds are substantial, impacting recovery and fight frequency. "If I fought at lightweight, I know I could fight four times a year, maybe five – like Kevin Holland," he mused, pointing to the increased activity possible in a less taxing weight class. "But at featherweight, I need to take a little more care of my body because everyone knows how to make weight, but I want to always make weight properly to perform well." This nuanced perspective underscores the strategic considerations fighters face in optimizing their careers for both performance and longevity.

As UFC 323 approaches, Mairon Santos stands at a crucial juncture. His quest for redemption at the T-Mobile Arena, coupled with the opportunity to defeat a highly regarded opponent like Muhammad Naimov, could propel him to the precipice of the featherweight rankings. The fight represents a chance to erase the lingering doubts from his last Las Vegas performance and make a definitive statement of his championship aspirations. For both Santos and Naimov, this Saturday night encounter promises to be a defining moment in their respective journeys within the Ultimate Fighting Championship.