Derik Santos.
Boxing trainer. Cornerman. Mentor. Quiet professional. Built more than a decade of champions out of a Boca Raton police gym.
For over 20 years, Derik Santos has been the steady hand inside the Boca Raton Police Athletic League building world champions one round at a time. He's cornered some of the most dangerous fighters of his generation in both boxing and the UFC.
Vitor Belfort. Chris Algieri. Gilbert Burns. Sullivan Barrera. Kimbo Slice. Mike Tyson. The list of champions Derik has trained, cornered, or sharpened reads like a hall of fame.
And yet, talk to him for five minutes and you'd never know it. Derik is the most humble person you'll meet in the sport. There's no ego, no act just the work and the fighter in front of him.
That's why pros keep his number, and why first-timers get the same intensity, the same eye for detail, the same patience. Boxing is craft. Derik is a craftsman.
What Derik believes
Personal, always.
Every fighter gets a tailored plan. There is no template, no group class shortcut.
Truth over ego.
He'll tell you what's wrong before he tells you what's right. That's how you grow.
Show up. Then show up again.
Champions aren't built in a single session. They're built in the unglamorous ones.