(This story was originally published on July 16, 2017.)

One year ago today, the MMA world cringed as veteran Evangelista Santos succumbed to a swift flying knee to the forehead, delivered by Michael Page at Bellator 158.

While Page (11-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) celebrated his award-winning knockout, “Cyborg” (21-18 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) was carted away for medical care. We soon knew the true severity of the injury: Santos’ skull had literally been caved in.

“Big” John McCarthy officiated the London bout, which earned MMAjunkie’s “Knockout of the Year,” and the seasoned referee said the impact “sounded like a baseball being hit out of the park.” UFC commentator Joe Rogan chimed in by describing the fracture as “the worst MMA injury” he’d ever seen.

Santos flew back to his home base of Houston to undergo reconstructive surgery at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center a few days later. MMAjunkie caught up with Santos, who reminisced about his storied career.

“I started competing at age 18, in 1996, and remained active for 20 years,” he said. “In that time, I fought 50 times. I always kept busy. I’ve fought from lightweight on up, and I even participated in a heavyweight tournament. I fought in all the major organizations I aimed for. I feel accomplished as a fighter. I faced all the great opponents I wished for. I’ve never turned down a fight. I always sought to face the toughest possible opponents. I was always looking for wars. That’s what attracted me to MMA.”

So what led to that MMA career?

“As a child, I worked in cockfighting,” he said. “That spirit was engrained in me. A rooster can lose, but he can never run from a fight. That’s the attitude I brought into the cage. I feel satisfied and happy with my accomplishments. During my career, I was able to see the evolution of our sport, from vale tudo to MMA. I’ve lived from fighting, and for fighting. I dedicated my life to it. I’m very satisfied with what I’ve done up to now.”

To say Santos is well-traveled would be a serious understatement. He fought in Pancrase, Jungle Fight, Cage Rage, PRIDE FC, World Victory Road/Sengoku, Strikeforce and Bellator. Santos’ past opponents include notables Jose Landi-Jons, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Yuki Kondo, Melvin Manhoef, Francis Carmont, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Gegard Mousasi, Siyar Bahadurzada, Marius Zaromskis, Nick Diaz, Jordan Mein, Brennan Ward and Page, among others. His first bout against Manhoef, a two-round war for the Cage Rage belt, currently has more than 1.6 million YouTube views:

Over the past year, “Cyborg” has had time to heal both physically and emotionally.

“My recovery was very uneventful, thankfully,” he said. “I remained in Houston, Texas, for six months. Whenever possible, I’d go back to the hospital for follow-ups. I’ve been in Brazil since December. My recovery went very well. I never felt anything. I don’t feel anything. The decision to remain ‘suspended’ from fighting came from me. I believe I need this time to recover. I have to respect my body. It was a very serious fracture, as everyone saw.”

Although “Cyborg” initially suggested he’d quickly return to competition, he’s had time to reconsider that rash decision and adjust his plans, though he’s not closing the book on his career.

“Right after, I was vocal about my wishes to get back to fighting as soon as possible, but it’s better to act with good sense,” he said. “I took time to think about it, and I want to recover. That’s what I’m doing in Brazil. I’m living with my daughter. I’m teaching fighters here at Chute Boxe in Curitiba, at our professional branch. It’s a great opportunity to share my knowledge with a new generation of fighters, both amateur and professional. Chute Boxe is a true stable of champions, and when one of us stops, we teach what we’ve learned. And that’s what I’m doing now.

“I’m very happy at this moment, to be with my daughter here in Brazil. And I’m even happier because I’ll be a father again. In September, I’ll have my first son.”

It’s a common saying that a warrior should leave the battlefield with his shield or on his shield (check out “Sayings of Spartan Women” by ancient Greek essayist Plutarch). The question now is whether Santos accepts his last bout as his final bout, or if he’s too courageous or stubborn to quit.

“Fighters have to be determined, aggressive, honorable and always give their best,” he said. “And the end of a Spartan’s career has to be this – giving his best in a fight, to the very end. But I don’t believe this is the end for me. I’m recovering. I’m feeling great. Due to my own concerns, I avoided any contact up to now. But I have a great desire to be back in action by next year.

“And if this was really the end of me, it was an end worthy of what I’ve represented, of what I’ve done. Scott Coker and everyone else at Bellator have always treated me with kindness and honor. They showed a lot of concern during my recovery. I plan to come back and work with them again.”

As far as all the metalwork added to his skull?

“It’s titanium,” he said. “It’s in there forever.”

I suppose that’s as close to a real “Cyborg” as we’ll see in this sport.