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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Nolan King

PFL signs former UFC title challenger Taila Santos for 2024 season

Taila Santos has signed with the PFL.

A one-time UFC women’s flyweight title challenger, Santos (19-3) will partake in the 2024 PFL season after inking a multifight deal with the promotion.

Three people with knowledge of the situation, including a promotion official, confirmed the signing Friday to MMA Junkie after an initial report by OCP News.

Santos, 30, was released from the UFC mid-contract in November after back-to-back losses. Her departure, however, came as a surprise to some, as her defeats were close against some of the division’s top-ranked fighters.

One of those losses was her lone UFC title challenge, a June 2022 split decision loss against Valentina Shevchenko. Santos returned against Erin Blanchfield in August and lost a competitive unanimous decision.

In total, Santos went 4-3 across seven UFC outings from 2019 to 2023.

It’s unclear who Santos will compete against in her initial PFL regular season matchup, which is expected to take place April 4 in San Antonio. Santos is one of three known season competitors, joining Bellator women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche and fast-rising prospect Dakota Ditcheva.

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