UFC middleweights Danny Barlow and Djorden Santos squared off at UFC Vancouver on Saturday night, each entering the cage with urgency and intent as both looked to rebound from recent losses and reassert themselves in the division.
Barlow (9-1) entered the bout looking to rebound from a TKO loss to Sam Patterson in March, which snapped a two-fight win streak over Josh Quinlan and Nikolay Veretennikov. The DWCS alum aimed to get back on track in Vancouver.
Santos (10-2) found himself in a similar spot, coming off a loss to Ozzy Diaz at UFC 313 in March. Also a DWCS alum, the Brazilian entered the bout in search of a much-needed win against Barlow.
Round 1 – Santos met Barlow in the center of the cage, with Barlow opening up early with kicks. Santos showed little respect for the incoming power, staying tight in the pocket to counter.
Barlow kept his left hand ready, but Santos disrupted his rhythm with slick leg kicks that kept him off balance. Once Barlow started landing that left hand, Santos felt it and immediately fired back with aggressive combinations.
Santos repeatedly attacked the inside leg, sweeping Barlow off balance several times. Barlow connected with a clean left, but Santos absorbed it and answered with a heavy right of his own.
As Barlow got a bit reckless searching for the left hand again, Santos capitalized with sharp counters that forced Barlow onto the back foot and put him under pressure.
Barlow closed the round strong with a big flurry in the final seconds.
Round 2 – Santos came out aggressively in round two, appearing confident that he had read Barlow’s timing. He marched forward with heavy pressure and head shots, forcing Barlow to retreat though Barlow continued to find a home for his counter left hand.
A clean left from Barlow knocked Santos’ mouthpiece out, prompting an immediate timeout from the referee, an unusual call, as most wait for a lull in action. The pause didn’t bother Barlow; the moment the fight resumed, he landed another crisp left.
Santos tried to regain momentum by pressing forward again, but Barlow was dialed in now, reading the attacks and firing sharp combinations. An accidental eye poke from Barlow briefly halted the action, giving Santos a minute to recover before they resumed.
Moments later, Barlow rocked Santos with a big left but chose to stay composed instead of rushing in. Soon after, he followed up with a heavy combination that sent Santos reeling.
But Santos refused to wilt firing back with massive power shots of his own and stunning Barlow. Smelling the finish, Santos chased him to the fence, hands raised in classic Diaz fashion as he poured on the offense. The round ended in wild back-and-forth chaos, an instant crowd-pleaser.
Round 3 – The crowd was electric before the final round even began, and Santos wasted no time charging forward with varied combinations, mixing body shots with overhands to force Barlow backward. He fired a high kick, slipped, but quickly recovered before Barlow could take advantage.
Barlow found success with the jab, but Santos wasn’t interested in a technical battle, he demanded a brawl, repeatedly blasting heavy 1-2s while Barlow remained too reliant on single strikes.
Midway through the round, a kick from Santos dropped Barlow, and the Brazilian followed him to the canvas, securing top position with under two and a half minutes to work. It was a strong visual for the judges, and Santos took full advantage.
Barlow used his legs to create separation, but Santos transitioned to the back briefly, pressing him to the fence and landing knees. Barlow eventually broke free, but Santos appeared the fresher fighter, cracking him with another clean 1-2 that snapped his head back.
Sensing urgency, Barlow fired back with aggression late, but the momentum clearly favored Santos. The round ended with both men trading heavy shots in the pocket as the crowd roared and the fight went to the judges’ scorecards.
Djorden Santos scores his first UFC victory.
Official Result: Djorden Santos def. Danny Barlow via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
