Santos plans to use $24,000 GoFundMe donation for charity
Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos hopes fans will forgive him for thinking of an alternate use for their generous gift.
The 38-year-old MMA veteran received an outpouring of support and donations after he suffered what appeared to be a serious head injury following a knockout loss to Michael Page at Bellator 158 on July 16.
A grisly image of his dented skull made the rounds on social media and his ex-wife Cristiane Justino started a GoFundMe page to provide assistance for him under the assumption that he might be sidelined for a while.
As of Thursday, the page had generated over $24,000 in donations.
Santos downplayed the extent of his injuries, vowing to return in six months. He insists that he doesn't need the money and is working toward donating it to the Casa do Menor Trabalhador de Rua in Rondonopolis, Brazil, an establishment dedicated to supporting and educating impoverished youth.
The sudden influx of money made Santos think of how he can contribute to the institute that took him in when he was 11 years old.
"Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to repay, from my heart, the sense of security and direction I received at this project," Santos said, according to Christian Stein of MMAjunkie. "Today I'm the fruit of their labors. So I wish to use the money that has been raised to launch a great dream of mine, to offer martial arts, literature, and English classes.
"That way, we can prepare new champions for the fight that is life, and encourage them to use their full potential - intellectual, physical, and technical."
With his medical bills covered and an optimistic outlook after what initially looked like a grave injury, Santos is grateful for the support he's received from Bellator, Justino, and the MMA community.
"Bellator took responsibility for my hospital costs," Santos said. "They paid my win bonus. As such, I don't find it fair that I should use the money for my own benefit. Even in a loss, I was blessed by the prayers and care of everyone in the fight world.
"May God bless each and every person for their positive thoughts, prayers and contributions. May the blessings also reach your families. And may God also bless Cris, who was so shocked by those images. Thank you for your friendship and concern."