Evangelista Santos Bio: Injury, Net Worth, Career & Cris Cyborg
October 10, 2026
This article was last updated by Sujan on June 16, 2026
Evangelista Santos came into the limelight in 2016 when he got kneed so hard that it left a dent on his forehead. However, there is much more to Santos’s career than just that particular moment.
For starters, he started fighting from 1997 and continued to do so for another 19 years.
Besides that, Evangelista also fought for many top organizations like Strikeforce, Bellator, and Pride. Furthermore, he also had many title bouts in his career.
Evangelista SantosBut, besides being a professional MMA, there is so much we don’t know about Evangelista Santos. So, today in this article, learn more about his life.
Here we have mentioned all the details regarding Evangelista’s early life, age, physical statistics, career, net worth, injury, personal life, and many more.
But, first, let’s take a look at some quick facts.
Quick Facts:
Where was Evangelista Santos born? Early life & Family
Evangelista Santos was born in Rondonopolis, Brazil, on December 12, 1977. Unfortunately, the information concerning his parents remains a mystery at this point.
Similarly, the whereabouts of his siblings are also kept a secret.
Talking about his early life, Evangelista grew up in a shady neighborhood, to say the least.
As early as 12, Santos was introduced to the popular illegal sport of cockfighting, where people bet money on either of the two roosters.
Subsequently, he spent five more years handling the prized fighters before embarking on a fighting career of himself. Initially, Evangelista started training in kickboxing.
But, later on, Santos moved to Vale Tudo at the age of 18.
How old is Evangelista Santos? Age, Body Measurements & Nationality
Having been born in the year 1977 makes Santos age 48 years old at the moment. Likewise, he celebrates his birthday on the 12th of December.
As a result, he falls under Sagittarius’s star sign, who tends to be extrovert, optimistic, and enthusiastic, among others.
Talking about his height, Evangelista stands at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and weighs 176 lb (80 kg). Moreover, he fought in the light heavyweight, middleweight, and welterweight divisions during his career.
And, about his nationality, Santos was born in Rondonpolis, the third-largest municipality in Mato Grosso. Consequently, Evangelista is a Brazilian as Mato Grosso lies in Brazil.
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Evangelista Santos | MMA Career
After training for two years, Evangelista turned professional when he was just 20 years old. After that, he won his first two fights before facing legendary Brazilian fighter Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons at BFV 8.
But, unfortunately, Santos lost the fight via TKO at the eight-minute mark of the first round.
Subsequently, he fought in 16 more bouts amassing a record of 12 wins and seven losses before getting the first title shot of his career.
To emphasize, Evangelista faced off against Melvin Manhoef at Cage Rage 15. Regrettably, he lost the fight in the second round via Knock Out.
After that, the next championship fight of his career happened at Cage Rage 21. Likewise, he fought James Zikic for the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship.
Santos fought for nearly two decades.Although Santos was on a high from his win in the previous fight, he fumbled under pressure and lost the match that went the full five rounds.
Thereafter, Evangelista fought in many top MMA organizations like PRIDE FC, Strikeforce, and Bellator MMA, to name a few.
During that period, he initially switched weight from light heavyweight to middleweight. But, just a year later, in 2009, Santos again moved down to welterweight.
Besides that, Evangelista fought for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship against and lost.
Similarly, he faced Melvin Manhoef for the vacant Gringo Super Fight Welterweight Championship, which turned out to be one of his career’s worst performances.
To explain, Santos was knocked out at the 46-second mark of the very first round. Then, the Brazilian fought in three more bouts before his infamous loss against Michael Page in 2016.
Evangelista Santos | Injury & Skull Fracture
Sad to say, Evangelista had to retire from the MMA world due to a gruesome skull fracture that he sustained in the last fight of his career. To illustrate, Santos fought Michael Page at Bellator 158 in London.
The fight was ebbing and flowing, with both fighters having huge moments in the first round.
However, in 4 minutes and 31 seconds of the second round, Michael pulled off one of the most brutal knockouts in MMA history.
Evangelista Santos skull fracture.To explain, Page landed a devastating knee to Santos’s forehead that not only knocked him out but ended his career altogether.
He had to undergo seven-hour-long surgery on a broken skull after suffering a gruesome knockout defeat.
As a matter of fact, that incident left a significant dent on their forehead of Evangelista. Consequently, he retired with a record of 21 wins and 18 losses.
Evangelista Santos | Net Worth & Fight Purse
Evangelista fought professionally for 19 years at the very top. As a result, Santos has amassed a net worth of $500,000, although it might seem a bit low for nearly two decades of service.
On the contrary, MMA fighters were not paid as much back when Evangelista was in his prime fighting for championships.
As a matter of fact, even to this day, mixed martial artists have to live paycheck to paycheck.
Moving on, for the penultimate bout of his career against Saad Awad at Bellator 154, Santos bagged $17,000. However, he would have earned another $17,000 had he defeated Awad.
Who is Evangelista Santos wife? Cris Cyborg & Relationships
When it comes to his love life, Evangelista is a divorced man. To explain, he was married to his ex-wife, Cristiane Justino, aka Cris Cyborg.
And, yes, guys, she’s the same Cyborg that won the UFC Featherweight Championship.
Evangelina Santos & Cris CybrogMoreover, the couple was married for a long time. To be precise, they remained together from 2005 to 2011.
Interestingly, it is at this time that Cris adopted her now-famous name, Cris Cyborg, as Evangelista’s nickname was Cyborg.
But, sadly, the couple could not maintain the relationship due to unspecified reasons. Since then, Santos has not been involved with anyone.
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Social Media Presence:
: 2.3 million followers
Some FAQs:
When did Cyborg retire?
Cyborg retired from the sport in 2017 after suffering a devastating head injury in his welterweight bout with Michael Page in July 2016, fracturing his skull.
He officially announced his retirement in January 2017 in an interview with Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, saying,
“I’m feeling really well, never felt anything after the surgery, but I don’t think I will fight again. I don’t want to risk getting an aftereffect for the rest of my life and don’t be able to pass on my knowledge and give work to my family.”
What is Evangelista Santos doing now?
After retirement, Evangelista Santos moved back to Houston and started teaching amateurs and professionals in his own gym in Texas.
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Aaditya Bhatta
Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.
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