LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — They are small enough that you may never notice them. But some of the biggest names in combat sports have stepped into the ring with a piece of Las Vegas art between their teeth.
Behind those custom mouthguards is a 24-year-old who never exactly planned on making them.
"My dad is a dentist, so he kind of got me into this whole scene... I had a boss before this, and he's the one that actually started the company, but he passed away from COVID... I took some knowledge from him and some knowledge from my dad and created my own thing," Julian Santiago said.
WATCH | See Julian Santiago's process firsthand with Taylor Rocha
Santiago is a Vegas native who found his hometown was also the perfect place to build a business like this.
"If I didn't live here, I probably wouldn't be able to do this because there's so many fighters coming in and out," Santiago said.
How a mouthguard is made
Every guard starts with an impression of the fighter's teeth. From there, Santiago pours a stone model, using vibration to work the material into every detail. Once it hardens, the design process begins — cut, layered, and pressed into place using a vinyl cutter and a heat press machine.
It is a process Santiago has been perfecting for years. But it took one fighter to put his work in front of millions.
The post that changed everything
When Gervonta "Tank" Davis fought Ryan Garcia, Santiago posted a video of the mouthguard he had made for Davis. The response was immediate.
"I made him one... and then the day he fought Ryan Garcia, I posted it. I fell asleep, woke back up, and it had like 10 million views," Santiago said.
The video took off. So did the DMs. Soon, the client list started looking more like a pay-per-view card.
"Jake Paul found me... Mike Tyson, his manager found me on Instagram," Santiago said.
A perfectionist's approach
The famous names may get your attention, but watching Santiago work makes it easy to see what keeps them coming back.
"There was one where I've literally had to start over five times because... there would just be the smallest air bubble... it would bug me too bad. I would have to just restart and restart until it's good," Santiago said.
A perfectionist with an artist's eye, Santiago is also a massive fight fan — which makes seeing his work in the ring that much more meaningful.
"When I see them using it, it's crazy. My whole family gets around, everybody's taking pictures of the TV. It's a fun time," Santiago said.
What's next
At 24, Santiago has already checked off most of his dream clients. But one big name remains on the list.
"Conor McGregor would have to be my biggest one," Santiago said.
His ambitions are also growing beyond combat sports.
"I wanna go to UNLV and I wanna make their whole team mouthguards. I wanna go to the Raiders. I wanna do that too. That's my biggest goal right now," Santiago said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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