Santo Curatolo isn’t in the UFC yet but he could be the next big name signing for the promotion
Santo Curatolo recently won the Cage Fury FC Flyweight title but he has bigger plans in mind. The 25-year-old has won all five of his professional MMA fights in the first round and is aiming to get into the UFC.
Curatolo was certain a call was coming up but didn’t know just when. However, he is confident of getting things done in the UFC and believed he could defeat the current UFC Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo.
“I watched him fight and he is really stronger than everybody in the division. He has a really, really strong chin. He fights with his hands down and I think he’s too comfortable with that.
“I think I would shake him up, I think I would hit him with really good shots. I think I can beat him, I know I can beat him, I’ll punch the dude right in his face if he keeps his hands down like that.”
Curatolo claimed that Figueiredo would try to target his legs, like everybody else, but he would get the better of the champion.
He was also open to facing Joseph Benavidez but didn’t think he was in a position to choose his next fight.
Santo was willing to fight anyone in the division and at any time, even his training partner.
I’ll fight my brother
Figueiredo will defend his title against Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt is coming down to the Flyweight division as he looks to pick up gold in another division, and Curatolo spoke about this.
Curatolo and Garbrandt train together but he was willing to even fight his non-existent brother:
“I don’t see a problem with it either. Cody trains over in New Jersey with us, Cody’s a homie but if it comes down to like a UFC title, I’ll fight my own brother even though I don’t have a brother.
“I’ll fight him at that point, we shake hands and that’s it, we fight and we shake hands again like gentlemen, like sportsmen.
“I will fight anybody in the division. If I make friends along the way its cool but I am not here to make friends, I am here to win championships and cement myself as one of the best flyweights in the UFC even.
“You give me the call, I will fight anybody on the roster. Champion, doesn’t matter, contenders, doesn’t matter.”
While Curatolo is yet to get a UFC contract, he should get a call-up soon. The 25-year-old was keen to feature on the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje card and just felt like this was the perfect card calling him out.
This was an exclusive interview from the Hair and the Beard podcast. For more exclusive interviews and content please follow the link.
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