Thiago Santos releases statement after submission loss to Glover Teixeira: “I’m so disappointed”

UFC light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos released a statement after his submission loss to Glover Teixeira, saying “I’m so disappointed.”

Santos and Teixeira had a back-and-forth brawl at UFC Vegas 13, with both men having several near finishes before the fight-ending submission win for Teixeira in the third round. Santos knocked Teixeira down at several points in the fight but somehow the aging veteran Teixeira was able to survive the onslaught and take Santos to deep waters and tap him.

Coming into the fight, Santos was the No. 1 ranked contender in the UFC light heavyweight division, while Teixeira was third. Although it was a great fight for the fans to watch, ultimately Santos lost the battle and he’s understandably not happy about it. Taking to his Twitter the day after the fight, Santos released a statement about the tough loss.

I'm so disappointed by myself, I didn't anything what I have trained, I wasn't there. I just wanna say sorry to my coaches, my family and everyone who support me. thank you God for everything in my life, I am so blessed, nothing can change my faith.

— Thiago “Marreta” Santos (@TMarretaMMA) November 8, 2020

I’m so disappointed by myself, I didn’t anything what I have trained, I wasn’t there. I just wanna say sorry to my coaches, my family and everyone who support me. thank you God for everything in my life, I am so blessed, nothing can change my faith.

If you ask most fans, Santos has nothing to say sorry about after the performance against Teixeira. Although he did lose, it was an incredible fight and he showed that he still has big power in his hands. Considering Santos just missed over a year with a knee injury and subsequent rehabbing, it’s actually quite incredible he was able to perform as well as he did against Teixeira before ultimately succumbing to the ground prowess of the vet.

As for what’s next for Santos, he figures to still get a top-five ranking the next time they are updated. However, he may get a step down in competition after losing to straight fights to Teixeira and Jon Jones. Some potential matchups for “Marreta” include Volkan Oezdemir, Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, Magomed Ankalaev, and Misha Cirkunov.

What do you think is next for Thiago Santos after getting stopped by Glover Teixeira?