Rivalries: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

An extensive history of violence has kept Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s good graces for nearly a full decade.

The former Jungle Fight champion will author the latest chapter in his long and distinguished career when he confronts Chidi Njokuani in the UFC Fight Night 254 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Zaleski dos Santos, 38, steps back into view having compiled a 1-1-1 record over his past three appearances. The CM System mainstay last saw action at UFC Fight Night 247, where he dismissed Zach Scoggin with punches in the first round of their Nov. 9 pairing.

As Zaleski dos Santos makes final preparations ahead of his upcoming clash with Njokuani at 170 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped him plot his course to this point:

Nicolas Dalby

The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder paired a steady diet of kicks to the arms, legs, body and head with a series of well-timed takedowns, as he eked out a contentious split decision over “Capoeira” as part of the UFC Fight Night 67 undercard on May 30, 2015 at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Guilherme Bravo and Felipe Frank for Dalby, Rick Winter for Zaleski dos Santos. Operating in the shadows of the Carlos Condit-Thiago Alves main event, Dalby set the pace with a strong opening frame, where he targeted his counterpart’s legs and body with kicks before grounding him with takedowns on multiple occasions. Zaleski dos Santos started to pick up the pace in middle stanza but again saw much of his good work neutralized by the Dane’s takedowns. The Brazilian made a last-ditch effort to salvage his promotional debut in the third round, where he attacked Dalby’s body with stinging knees and countered a takedown by sweeping into top position under the threat of a kimura. It was not enough to carry him on the scorecards.

Sean Strickland

Zaleski dos Santos cut down “Tarzan” with a sensational spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches in the first round of their UFC 224 welterweight prelim on May 12, 2018 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Strickland was victimized by one of the year’s best knockouts 3:12 into Round 1. Neither man did much prior to the fight-ending sequence. Zaleski dos Santos planted the well-disguised kick behind the American’s ear, trailed him to the canvas and unleashed on his compromised counterpart. Strickland did what he could to survive but ultimately succumbed to a barrage of punches and hammerfists, as he was finished for the first time as a pro.

Jingliang Li

The China Top Team linchpin made what was at the time the most significant move of his career, when he wiped out Zaleski dos Santos with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 157 co-main event on Aug. 31, 2019 at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China. The end came 4:51 into Round 3. Stellar footwork and lateral movement kept Li out of danger, and a measured, opportunistic approach did the rest. He decked Zaleski dos Santos with a straight left in the closing seconds of the first round, withstood the Brazilian’s change of pace in the middle stanza and sealed the deal in the third. There, he staggered Zaleski dos Santos with a right uppercut and followed up with punches from both hands, forcing referee John Sharp to call for the stoppage.

Benoit St. Denis

Zaleski dos Santos returned to form and laid claim to a one-sided unanimous decision over the French Special Forces soldier in their UFC 267 welterweight prelim on Oct. 30, 2021 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three members of the assigned judiciary submitted 29-26 scorecards. St. Denis was simply outmatched in terms of firepower. A fairly competitive first five minutes gave way to a difficult-to-stomach second round that bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. Zaleski dos Santos battered and bloodied the organizational newcomer with sweeping hooks from both hands, knee strikes from the clinch and various other weapons. St. Denis managed to withstand the assault—referee Vyacheslav Kiselev could have intervened on more than one occasion—but had little left in the gas tank with which to return fire. Zaleski dos Santos’ pace slowed down the stretch and he was docked a point for an inadvertent low blow, but by then, the lead he had built was insurmountable.