After going more than a year without a fight, the UFC tried to match him up against James Krause, potentially for a bout on the upcoming Utica card. The TUF Brazil 2 champion was none too happy to find out he might be taking on a non-ranked fighter. Especially since he is currently riding a four-fight streak, including a win over top-ranked Kevin Lee.
Santos spoke to Combate about his feelings on the booking, telling the outlet that he tried reaching out to the UFC in order to get better match-ups, but to no avail.