Bellator 143: Toninho Furia 'Pitbull knows that I am coming

[Edge Guerrero]

and he is scared!

By Stephie Haynes  @CrooklynMMA on Sep 24, 2015, 12:00p

Gleristone Santos discusses what he feels makes him stand out from the herd of grapplers currently making waves all across the sport, where grapplers go wrong when making the transition to MMA, what he wants to be remembered for and much more.

Gleristone Santos is not a name MMA fans might be overly familiar with, but I have a feeling that's all going to change very soon. Tomorrow night, in Hidalgo Texas, "Toninho Furia" will make his debut onto the much larger Bellator platform rather than the regional promotions that have been enjoying his excellent ground game and ferocious striking for more than a decade. He'll be facing off against John Teixeira da Conceição, a tough featherweight hailing from the Nova Uniao fight camp at Bellator 143.

For those of you that are finding Toninho's name familiar, former Bloody Elbow staff writer and all around awesome dude, Patrick Wyman did a great prospect piece that listed him as one of the Top 25 picks for future champion. Now, the 27-year-old has the opportunity to start working his way towards a shot at featherweight gold, a shot that comes with the added perk of being in the position to possibly avenge a 2009 loss to current champion, Patricio Freire.

In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Santos discussed what he feels makes him stand out from the herd of grapplers currently making waves all across the sport, where grapplers go wrong when making the transition to MMA, what he wants to be remembered for and much more. Here's what he had to say:

Stephie Haynes: Bellator has been signing lots of Brazilian grappling stars. In your own words, what do you feel makes you stand out from the rest of the guys?

Toninho Furia: My style is completely different in the sense that I have a strong Muay Thai background as I have fought undefeated in Thailand. And I also mix my striking style with Capoiera which makes it more entertaining. I am an accomplished grappler and I have wrestling as well. So I differentiate myself with my dynamic striking, combined with a complete game.

Stephie Haynes: Rematches are very important to some fighters and not so much to others. Where do you stand on that?

Toninho Furia: I like the idea of rematches when it makes sense to have them. Not all fights deserve rematches. But the ones that do are really special to watch. For a fighter it is an opportunity for redemption or to prove that it was not luck. So it can be extremely entertaining for everyone.

Stephie Haynes: It's very opportune that you ended up in Bellator where Patricio Pitbull also fights. How many wins do you feel you'll need to put together to get that rematch with him?

Toninho Furia: In this case, a rematch is important to me. The title is important for all fighters. But I also fight for pride. When Pitbull and I first fought I was very inexperienced and young. Now I have grown and evolved a lot. I am a completely different fighter. Pitbull knows that I am coming, and he is scared! Pitbull has also evolved. I truly believe when we finally fight again, it will be one of the greatest rematches to watch for the fans. I think within a year we will see this rematch happen.

Stephie Haynes: Where do you think Conceição's most glaring weakness lies?

Toninho Furia: I think his reflexes could be faster and his reaction time to capitalize on attacks.

Stephie Haynes: You haven't had a loss in four years. Have you reached a point where you don't feel much pressure to maintain your streak, or is that pressure always there, as a sort of mechanism to keep you sharp?

Toninho Furia: The winning streak does not create pressure it just creates experience. Something that I value greatly is that not a lot of fighters my age have my experience. Everything I do, I do with faith and God. I am ready for the new challenge ahead of me.

Stephie Haynes: So many grapplers get into MMA but have a difficult time adjusting their skillset to be effective in the sport. Where do you think they go wrong?

Toninho Furia: I think some of those fighters start MMA at a late age. The key is being aware of all aspects of the game, and transitioning to each comfortably. Some strikers are not comfortable defending a take down, for example, while still having an aggressive or effective stand-up strategy.

To read the rest of the interwiew click on:http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/9/24/9391097/bellator-143-toninho-furia-pitbull-knows-that-i-am-coming-and-he-is-scared

[Masato]

I saw Bustamante in his corner @ 1:00

very cool, thanks for the watch, Edge. I'll cheer for him

[Som-Pong]

From watching his highlight I like his style. Seems like he has a good understanding of things.