Daniel Santos to honor late teammate Allan Nascimento with UFC 333 win

Daniel Santos will have extra motivation when he faces Bolaji Oki at UFC 333 on Saturday. The Brazilian hopes to dedicate a victory to Allan Nascimento, his close friend and teammate at Chute Boxe Diego Lima, who passed away in August.

Daniel Santos Wants to Dedicate UFC 333 Win to Allan Nascimento

As a close friend of the late Nascimento, Santos has found it difficult to prepare for the fight while constantly thinking about his teammate and imagining what it would be like if he were still around. However, the Brazilian believes his friend would want him to stay focused and give his best inside the Octagon.

Speaking to Ag Fight, Santos opened up about dealing with Nascimento's absence during training camp and explained why he wants to honor his late friend with a win in Abu Dhabi.

"It wasn't easy," Santos began. "You're thinking about him all the time, imagining what it would be like if he were there. But I feel that he would want me to dedicate myself and give my best. In a way, he's always with me. Allan was a very close friend, a brother. We're going in there to get the win for him, and on Saturday night, my hand will be raised in the name of Chute Boxe and in his honor."

Daniel Santos Confident After Full Training Camp

The fight against Oki will be Santos' first appearance since losing to Doo Ho Choi in a Fight of the Night bout that snapped his four-fight winning streak. The Brazilian explained that a rib injury limited his preparation for that matchup, forcing him to focus on making the most of the opening round.

This time, Santos said he completed a full training camp and feels physically prepared to maintain a high pace for all three rounds while pursuing a knockout or submission.

"That time, we went in with a strategy focused on executing everything in the first round because that was when I would be in the best physical condition, knowing I wasn't at 100%," Santos said. "But this time, I had a full camp. I'm in good shape to have a very tough fight over three rounds, always looking for the knockout or submission."

Santos and Oki will meet in the early prelims of UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev will face each other in the main event, with the featherweight title on the line.