Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos Still an Unfinished Product

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos always views himself through an objective lens inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division. At 36 years of age, he remains a work in progress.

The former Jungle Fight champion will seek his 11th win in 13 appearances when he collides with Rinat Fakhretdinov as part of the UFC Fight Night 231 undercard on Saturday at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Zaleski dos Santos continues to make late-career strides under longtime coach Cristiano Marcello at the well-respected CM System camp. The work never ends.

“We always find ways to evolve, improving upon whatever is lacking and further strengthening what we do well,” Zaleski dos Santos told Sherdog.com. “Being on a team that always measures our performance and finds ways to help us get even better is the difference maker in having a successful career.”

Fakhretdinov does not look like an obstacle around which it will be easy to maneuver. The American Top Team rep has rattled off 20 consecutive victories, 16 of them finishes, since he suffered his lone professional setback in 2013. Fakhretdinov improved to 3-0 inside the Octagon at UFC on ESPN 48, where he choked Kevin Lee unconscious with a guillotine just 55 seconds into their July 1 pairing. It was the fifth sub-minute stoppage of his career.

“He’s a great opponent,” Zaleski dos Santos said. “In our weight class, there are no easy matchups. Rinat is very determined and aggressive. I’m glad to be facing another tough and complete athlete. It motivates me to train even harder. The better the opponent, the more disciplined I am in training. We always train in every area, come up with the best possible strategy and look to give great performances in the cage. We also strive to make things exciting for the fans of the sport. Without a doubt, it will be one of the best fights of the night.

Zaleski dos Santos carries some momentum of his own, as he enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back wins. He last fought on June 3, when he was awarded a split decision over Abubakar Nurmagomedov in their three-round clash at UFC on ESPN 46. Zaleski owns a 10-3 record in the UFC—a run that includes a May 2018 knockout of current middleweight champion Sean Strickland. That he gets to ply his trade in his home country for the first time in more than three years serves as an added bonus.

“Fighting in Brazil is different,” Zaleski dos Santos said. “In Brazil, we feel and we draw energy from the fans. Everyone in attendance reacts and celebrates each action and strike. There’s no other fanbase in the world like that. They’re really engaged. Fighting is in the blood of the Brazilian people. I can hardly wait to fight again. To be back there still doing the thing I most love, which is fighting, is something that’s beyond incredible.”