‘He bleeds just like everybody else’: Thiago Santos vows to beat Jon Jones as fighters weigh in ahead of UFC 239
- UFC 239 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday evening
- Jon Jones defends his 205-pounds title against Thiago Santos in the main event
- Holly Holm challenges bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes in the co-main
Thiago Santos vowed to upset the odds as he weighed in ahead of his UFC 239 showdown with light-heavyweight great Jon Jones.
The Brazilian will challenge the UFC superstar in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
And he was fully confident of pulling off an upset as the card’s fighters took to the scales on Friday.
Thiago Santos poses on the scales during the UFC 239 weigh-ins on Friday night
Jon Jones issues a war cry as the fighters faced off for the final time ahead of the pay-per-view
‘We can’t take the merit (away from) Jon Jones,’ Thiago Santos told MMA Junkie.
‘He’s a great fighter. He’s done what he’s done with all these tough guys. But at the end of the day, he’s a man who has two legs and two arms. I don’t care how big of a fighter or how big of a name he has. I’m going to go out there and beat him.
‘I’m aware of the challenge, but I look at him as just another man who feels and bleeds just like everybody else. It’s never easy. I know the challenge that’s in front of me. I’m sure he’s very well prepared as I am, and I’m going to go out there and show that.’
‘I’m ready. It is what it is. I think the fans are more nervous than I am.’
Jones and Santos go face-to-face a day before their light-heavyweight showdown
Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, has won all but one of his 26 professional fights, his only defeat coming via disqualification.
Santos has won eight of his last nine and comes into the bout off the back of three consecutive knockouts.
The pay-per-view’s co-headliner will see duel-weight champion Amanda Nunes look to cement her legacy as the best female fighter of all time as she defends her bantamweight title against former champ Holly Holm.
The most stacked card of the year will also see the controversial Ben Askren look to remain undefeated against Jorge Masvidal in a fight that has become personal.
Amanda Nunes will defend her bantamweight title against Holly Holm in the co-main event
Ben Askren (right) is looking to remain undefeated as he takes on Jorge Masvidal