MMA: Lawrence’s Santiago to turn pro

I spoke with Will Santiago this morning, who confirmed that he will turn pro with his next fight, most likely in October.

Santiago will be featured in my weekly “On MMA” column in this Sunday’s Eagle Tribune.

Santiago (3-0 as an amateur) trains with Intenze MMA Academy in Lawrence, Mass. His first amateur fight was in November – a TKO win over Ryan Sexton. He followed that up with a TKO win over Joshua Morales in January and a submission win over Lowell Zangri last month.

Santiago said he will fight a few more fights at 185 pounds before moving down to 170 pounds, where he hopes to stay.

For more on Santiago, reaction from UFC 116 and looking ahead to Combat Zone 34 in Salem, N.H. next month, be sure to check out Sunday’s Eagle Tribune.