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Thiago Santos blasts UFC rankings for favoring history over wins after tying Anderson Silva’s KO record

BELEM, Brazil — Thiago Santos scored his fourth straight knockout finish in the Octagon on Saturday night, stopping Anthony Smith in the second round at UFC Belem to tie Anderson Silva’s record for most knockouts in UFC middleweight history.

“Anyone who fights me has to be prepared to feel pain, and I knew he had never fought someone like me before,” Santos said after the win in Brazil, explaining that going for kicks and punches to Smith’s “fragile body” was his strategy. “I know that I would hurt him eventually.