Thiago Santos has seemingly bulked up in preparation for his UFC 239 bout against Jon Jones.
The Brazilian light heavyweight fighter nicknamed “Marreta” looks like he’s packed on some pounds, if a recent Instagram post is any indication. Currently, he is in Las Vegas, the location of his upcoming fight. Santos is taking in some local attractions and sharing his experiences on his Instagram.
Thiago Santos shared a series of pictures from the Las Vegas Red Rock Canyon, accompanied by his coach, Gabriel de Oliveira and fellow MMA fighter, Antônio Paulo Branjão.
There is a noticeable difference between Thiago Santos’ build for recent fights and his frame in his recent Instagram picture. We can assume that he believes building mass will give him a lead over his towering opponent, Jon Jones.
At 6ft 4″, Jones is an incredibly long yet athletic fighter with an 84” inch reach. This is a sizeable reach advantage over Santos who is slightly shorter at 6ft 2″, and has a 76” reach. Santos will be looking to compensate for the reach advantage with his strong striking and KO power. Having extra muscle will also better his chances of staving off Jones’ grappling — but it could hurt his cardio.
However, Jon Jones is not concerned. In fact, he believes Santos’ approach to bulking will backfire once they enter the octagon.
“MMA is an endurance sport, it’s a 25-minute endurance sport,” Jones told the media recently (via MMA Junkie). “I believe in the first two rounds his muscles will work to his advantage. Anything after that, he’s carrying extra weight and I think it will ultimately work against him.
Thiago Santos is riding a four-fight winning streak, having previously beaten Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa, Eryk Anders, and Kevin Holland. However, Jones is the bookie favourite to win and is more than confident he will successfully defend his title.
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This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/4/2019.