Evangelista Santos announced his retirement from MMA on June 9, marking the end of a long career that spanned 20 years.
The "Cyborg" expressed that while he is feeling well after his surgery, he doesn't want to risk getting more serious injuries, according to MMA Fighting. Santos said that he doesn't think he will fight again.
The Brazilian striker's last MMA fight was in July 2016 against Michael Page in Bellator 158, as per Bleacher Report. Page landed a flying knee so hard against the "Cyborg's" skull that it got fractured and Santos was subsequently knocked out in the fight. He had to undergo a seven-hour surgery after to treat his fractured skull.
The MMA veteran debuted professionally on Sept. 7, 1996. He is ending his career with a record of 21 wins and 18 losses, with 21 wins as knockout. Santos has participated in 39 MMA fights and have fought at three different weight classes. However, "Cyborg" claims that not all of his fights are officially listed in the records and the tally should be 32 wins and 18 losses.
Santos does not focus solely on his wins on the subject of his legacy. He revealed that some of his losses have been also memorable in his career. He lists his championship fights, the 8-man tournaments and his knockouts against his opponents such as Silvio Urutum as some of the remarkable moments in his time at the cage.
He admitted that initially, he had plans to fight again and get into 10 more fights in the MMA, but things didn't worked out as planned. But while he has retired, he is not going to leave the sport as he will continue to work with professional and amateur athletes and help train the next champions of MMA.
Ultimately, Evangelista Santos wants to be remembered as a fighter who gave it all and has dedicated his life to the sports and has never been selective in choosing his opponents.
Find out more about how Evangelista Santos fractured skull in his fight against Michael Page here:
