Soft-spoken knockout artist Thiago 'Marreta' Santos learning to ask for more – and wouldn't mind Chris Weidman in New Yo

It’s hard to think of a line that better encapsulates Thiago “Marreta” Santos’ MMA career more than the one that the UFC middleweight said, himself, before Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 125.

“My goal is always to win convincingly,” Santos told Combate.com. “My marketing is (made with) punches to the face, kicks and elbows.”

Those who have been following Santos since “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2” have been repeatedly given proof of that.

In the public sphere, we got to watch the middleweight beat nine of the 13 opponents he’s met in the octagon so far, while keeping an admirable pace of three fights a year since 2015. We often got to watch him do it in devastating fashion, too – only one of them, then-undefeated Elias Theodorou, made it to the judges’ scorecards.

Backstage, though, Santos’ presence has been different. Whether it’s entering a bout on a three-fight winning streak or a two-fight skid, Santos has never been one for braggadocio. He won’t feed you clicky one-liners or engage in Twitter feuds. And other than some politely-issued desires, like the one for a rematch with now-Bellator fighter Gegard Mousasi, his presence has remained largely call-out free.

On Saturday, though, Santos (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) raised his voice a little higher than usual. After folding Anthony Smith (27-14 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in the second round to add a fourth straight knockout to his current streak – tying a record held by Anderson Silva in the process – Santos asked for what he believed he’d earned.

“It’s my fourth consecutive win with a knockout,” Santos told reporters backstage after the win. “I’m one of the fighters with more knockouts in my division. I deserve an opportunity. I had one with Mousasi, but with little time to be ready. I want a good name and that I can be ready for it. I would like one of the top-six: (Robert) Whittaker, (Luke) Rockhold, (Chris) Weidman – I accept any of these.”

Even those lines, he later admitted, took some arm-twisting.

“I will always prioritize the practical part, what I do in the octagon,” Santos told MMAjunkie. “But this other aspect also needs to be worked on. And that’s what I did in my last fight. That also came from my coaches and my manager. They told me, ‘You have to talk, man. You’ve already been doing it, so now you need to talk about what you’ve been doing.’ They instructed me.

“But I still only talk with conviction in what I’m actually doing. I will only market what I am effectively getting done. My marketing can’t be bigger than me; it has to be a continuation of my actions.”

That doesn’t sound at all surprising coming from someone who has always taken pride in having his achievements come from both his effort and his ability to making – and sticking to – his own plans.

Santos, who hails from Rio de Janeiro’s infamous Cidade de Deus slum, took no shortcuts to get to where he is. First, there was a seven-year army stint. Then, a “TUF: Brazil” run. And now, 13 fights into his UFC career, he’s at a place where he can feasibly make some requests.

From the start, Santos knew the potential he had to get places. But, when he looks back, it’s with a measure of awe.

“Of course I have goals,” Santos said. “I dream of being a UFC champion. But I’m already very grateful for what I have, what I’ve accomplished and what I’ve become. A boy from Cidade de Deus, … when I stop to think about it, I get a little stunned.”

“I don’t see myself as a talented guy”

Santos currently splits his time between the U.S., where he does part of his camp at Florida’s American Top Team, and Rio, where he trains at Tata Fight Team. Other than preparing for his fights – which happens often, considering his activity – Santos also runs a training center in the community where he was raised. There, he conducts a social project where local kids can take martial arts lessons for free.

As someone who’s seen, first-hand, how negative influences can find fertile ground in places where opportunities are scarce, Santos has taken it upon himself to be a positive one.

“I don’t see myself as a talented guy – as a guy who was born with a talent, or a gift,” Santos said. “Some guys were born with a gift. Like (ex-UFC-champ) Anderson Silva – he was born with a talent for this. (Soccer player) Neymar, as well. I’m not. I transformed into a fighter thanks to hard work and dedication.

“So I’m very blessed. I think God allowed that so I can help people. It’s not for no reason. I believe that. So I try, as much as I can, to do something. Even if it’s not much, I try to also help and pay these blessings forward. I think it’s the least I can do.”

Whether talent was a factor or not, fact is that the somewhat one-dimensional striker that was quickly beaten by fellow “TUF” alum Cezar Ferreira in his short-notice UFC debut has evolved into a legitimate threat in the UFC’s 185-pound division.

A threat that, all things considered, isn’t exactly wrong in aiming a little higher in the rankings. While Santos did throw around a few names, again, he’s not in the business of call-outs. He just wants a fight that will get him closer to the belt.

And if he can’t have it his way? As usual, he’ll adjust.

“I want to fight three times this year, like I did last year,” Santos said. “So, doing the math, I want a fight by June. If we don’t have an offer to fight a big guy – whomever comes, I’ll fight. I don’t want to wait around. ‘Oh, if I don’t get this fight,’ – no, none of that.

“We’re going to put a little pressure, of course, but mostly I want to stay active and keep working.”

There’s a reason behind that, too. It’s Santos understanding that he doesn’t really have that much time to sit back and carefully plan a path toward the title like some of his younger peers do.

“I don’t think I have to make a career plan,” Santos said before his previous win, over Jack Hermansson. “That’s for a 20, 22-year old who’s just joining the UFC.”

Not that Santos is exactly old, either. But, other than the inevitable wear-and-tear of fighting, his 33-year-old body also has to account for the damage suffered in the several years he spent as a paratrooper. Add it all up and, understandably, he’s starting to feel it a little.

“My body, it’s been through a lot,” Santos said. “I was in the army for seven years and it was hard on my body. Now, with fighting and cutting weight, I already have all these pains. I don’t see myself fighting past 40. Of course, that’s how I feel now. Maybe at 38 I’ll feel good and think ‘Well, I can push it a little more.’ But, today, that’s how I feel.”

In any case, Santos still has a few years left before that happens. And while he’s yet to touch the extra money that came with three post-fight bonuses – two for “Performance of the Night” and a “Fight of the Night” one – he probably wouldn’t mind collecting some more.

As per usual, Santos is not going to start calling out those he’d like to collect them with – or over. But, while we’re at it, he might as well throw out this one little thought that has crossed his mind.

“A fight I’d like is Weidman,” Santos said. “I’d really like to fight him, maybe in New York. I’ve never fought there. I’d love to meet New York and dance with him there.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 125, check out the UFC Events section of the site.